The Death Eater
by Alania Black
Summary: Harry has been captured but Voldemort, in an attempt to secure his own power, decides not to kill him. Instead, Harry is to be used as a test of loyalty for the newest Death Eater. Please read the warnings inside!
1. Chapter 1, Harry

_This is the second draft of this fic, but the first on FF. It doesn't follow canon past PoA, but I don't think anyone will blame me._

**_Warnings: This story includes scenes of torture, rape, hermaphrodite characters, semi-mpreg (see previous), slavery and homosexual content. If any of these disturb you or if you are under age, please read no further. If you do I hold no liability for what you may read._**

_I don't own Harry Potter nor hold any copyright to it._

**Chapter one: Harry's New Master**

Harry was curled in a small, naked ball in the corner of his cell; trembling from cold and pain. The Death Eaters who had been torturing him had tossed him into here after bouts of the Cruciatus, ensuring he was weak and vulnerable from the tremors running through his nerves. Normally Harry would relish the reprieve from pain, but now he would have preferred it. While in pain, he knew to expect more pain. Now he knew nothing of what to expect, and the remains of the cell's previous occupant still chained to the wall filled his mind with only the worst of possibilities. He would rather be facing the Dark Lord, or more torture, than this waiting and fear – which was probably why the Death Eaters did it. What better way to break a victim than through his own imagination?

His imagination, after a full day trapped; cold, hungry and in agony; had been given enough time to fully torment him. His fears of being left to the same fate as the man on the wall were little in comparison to his fears for his friends. He was certain that they had escaped the attack on the platform, but what if they had been caught once he had been stupefied? What if they were even now suffering in another area of this maze of a castle? His fears, pain-induced hallucinations of their screams and suffering, were enough to drive him to the brink of sanity as it was. Waiting for what would happen to him as well was threatening to tip him over the edge.

Finally, after leaving Harry alone long enough that dehydration and pain were battling between killing him or driving him insane, Voldemort descended on his cell, two of his Death Eaters looming in the near-darkness behind him, appearing more as the spectral Dementor guards than real men. His eyes glimmered in a face too pale to be natural, sweeping over Harry's body with a superior, vicious pleasure. He motioned silently to the guards behind him, sweeping to the side of the door – blending in if it weren't for his pale face and blood-eyes. The Death Eaters hauled him up from his armpits, more like a recalcitrant cat or small child, and carried him through the cells and up the stairs. He was finally deposited on the tiled floor of a bathroom, the Death Eaters moving out of his line of sight. He heard running water, tilting his head weakly to find the source of the glorious sound. He whimpered in pain as the movement jarred his nerves, and settled back on the floor, drifting through consciousness. Soon, gentle hands picked him up and laid him in a bathtub. His body sank weakly into the water, mouth opening as his dry throat cried out weakly for the water so close. A hand caught him under the chin and tugged him carefully back up. He struggled weakly and whined for the water, the unknown hand holding him in place. The press of cold glass to his lips soothed his writhing, and cool water flowed into his mouth. He swallowed eagerly, the hand holding back the flow often enough to prevent him choking. The water was pulled away before he was ready, but the little amount he'd received was enough for him.

The other Death Eater began washing his body as the one holding his chin set in on his hair. He was massaging the soap in gently, carefully avoiding pulling or hurting him, while the one washing his body smoothed over his legs. He felt a tingling sensation, almost painfully stinging him, and whimpered again. The hand in his hair stroked almost soothingly, and the one on his legs washed again, smoothing the tingles away. As the hand in his hair washed off the last of the bubbles and moved onto his chest, the ones on his legs moved higher, making him stiffen up in fear as they slid closer to intimate areas. The Death Eaters had gained a vicious reputation for rape, and the idea of being violated like this, here, turned his stomach. But neither man touched him in any way that would seem violating, even when they were washing tingling circles in his groin and around his anus, each touch was clinical.

When they finished with him, they both pulled away and swept silently out of the room, leaving him alone and vulnerable with Voldemort. He scanned Harry with the same twisted, superior look as before, smirking vindictively. "You have a short while to yourself, before my Death Eaters will return. Enjoy it; it will be your last."

He followed his Death Eaters out, cutting a far more striking figure with his snake-like body and shock-white head, and the threats rung in his wake far more than they should have. Harry sunk deeper in the bath, hiding his body from sight. He enjoyed the luxurious, soothing lap of water against his skin, gentling raw nerves and warming chilled skin. He was rubbing his arms, enjoying heating himself up, when he realised what had felt different. What the stinging tingles were before. His hair had been stripped away, every single hair on his arms and, on further exploration, his legs, groin, underarms and anus. He tightened in on himself as he wondered what this act of vanity may signal.

Before long, certainly before he had time to torture himself wondering what they were going to do to him next, the Death Eaters returned, each carrying a small bundle. One of them went to the vanity with his bundle, while the other began gently helping Harry out of the bath. Tense now with fear, Harry pulled angrily away from him, but clung on again as his tormented legs collapsed underneath him. The Death Eater gave a low chuckle and supported him the rest of the way, before setting about towelling him dry. The other Death Eater, meanwhile, had finished laying out Harry's clothes and had taken up a comb against his hair.

In an effort to distract himself from what they were doing to him and what they had planned next, he turned his gaze to the clothes on the vanity. He paled fearfully, wobbling faintly in their hold. There was just the one item, a dark green tunic. It looked about the same length as Dudley's cast-off shirts, the ones that barely reached Harry's knees, but unlike Dudley's clothes, this appeared to have been sized for Harry. The only thing that would hold it up was two silver ties, tenuous protection at best. With no underwear beneath, one need only slip the ties and Harry would be exposed for all to see.

Abandoning his hair, as most did, one of the Death Eaters moved to the silky tunic and picked it up. The one towelling him slid to his knees, towelling Harry's legs and feet – Harry's hands on his shoulders the only thing supporting him – while the tunic was dropped over his head and into place. The ties were knotted in a loose bow and both of then stepped away, leaving Harry swaying on the spot in only this limited covering.

A third Death Eater swept into the room, something strangely familiar about him, and handed a vial to Harry. Silently and swiftly he left again, looking at none of the men around him. Harry held the vial blankly in one hand until, with an impatient huff, one of the Death Eaters told him to drink it. Wary of the wands in their hands and the Death Eater's propensity to curse people who disobey them, he swallowed the contents of the vial. His fear of the potion's properties proved founded, and he collapsed to his knees in agony as cramps began in his abdomen and a tearing pain ripped through his lower half.

He was lifted by surprisingly gentle hands, the slightest shift in movement sending him convulsing in agony, and placed on a comfortable couch that had been transfigured from a dry towel. The Death Eaters remained with him until the seizures lessened and the pain eventually subsided, before he was lifted onto his feet. Steadying hands held him up as his body initially collapsed under the aftershocks of pain still coursing across his nerves. He was grateful none-the-less, as this time when he was lead out he was taken into a circle of Death Eaters. He was glad for the smallest of victories that being capable of walking into that circle under his own power gave him.

Harry studied the figures around him as Voldemort's speech commenced, looking for any weaknesses. A Wand would be useful, but the Death Eater robes must come with a hidden Wand compartment or the likes, because he couldn't even see the smallest sliver of wood on any in the circle. Neither could he see any sign of aid from these people; not even Snape, who he was now sure had been the one to give him the potion.

He returned his attention sharply to Voldemort when he called a Death Eater forward, introducing him to the Death Eaters as the newest recruit to the inner circle. He went unnamed, but they were all respectably wary. A new recruit immediately granted a position in the inner circle had either done something to prove himself – something very big – or he came from a powerful bloodline and background. Anyone else would have languished with most of them in the outer circle; Marked, but not trusted.

"Although he has taken his place with his Brothers in my inner circle, my newest faithful must prove himself and complete one task for me in order to remain there. Potter here has shown himself to be a most difficult adversary, capable of surviving a great deal; rather like a cockroach, don't you think my Pet?" He addressed the new Death Eater, who bowed his head with a soft chuckle and a murmured affirmative. "However, this has also proven that he has a great innate power. If only he had been tutored in our ways since his birth, he surely would have been worthy to be by my side. As it is, Mr Potter is, unfortunately, lost to us. Nevertheless, it would be a waste to kill him, and lose all that power. My new Pet's task therefore is a simple and likely enjoyable one. Mr Potter may not come to be by my side, but his talent could be passed to one who would come to me. Mr Potter has been given a powerful transformative draught, which has rapidly grown within his body a womb and a birth canal. He is now in all ways a hermaphrodite. Within the year, I would have from his body a child to be raised in our ways, so when he or she comes of age they will stand willingly by my side as my consort. If, within the year, I have this child, my new faithful will become a permanent member of my inner circle. If not, he will become a permanent occupant of his family's grave."

Harry felt the world tilt wildly under his feet as he swayed, close to passing out. His mind could barely comprehend what was being said, his emotions twisting violently between enraged, horrified, terrified and humiliated. The idea that this unknown Death Eater was being ordered to rape him, was being ordered to impregnate him; the idea of his child standing by Voldemort's side, in Voldemort's bed; the thought of the birth canal, the womb, and the implications of that; it all became too much for Harry to cope with, and he felt his mind thankfully go blank. He was still conscious, still aware as the Death Eater approached him and fastened a collar around his neck. He registered the tightening inside that indicated his magic had been dampened. He could see the Death Eaters surrounding him; some laughing, some obviously jealous. He knew it all, but he felt nothing except a strange apathy.

The apathy shattered like fragile glass as the Death Eater raised his Mask to seal the bargain. A single tear fell from Harry's eye, to be caught up in the kiss that Draco Malfoy pressed onto his lips.


	2. Chapter 2, Settling Pains

**Chapter two: Settling Pains**

Malfoy stepped back after a moment's kiss. He licked his lips, before they curled into a vicious smirk. He eyed Harry from head to toe, taking his time to make him uncomfortable. He finally gave a nod of satisfaction, bowed to Voldemort, and left.

After an endless second's pause, in which time Harry realised he was expected to follow, Harry left as well. He was angry and humiliated that he was following as expected, but the only other option had been to stay surrounded by Death Eaters; and he would likely have faced another round of the Cruciatus in punishment as well. So he pushed down his anger and trailed submissively after Malfoy through corridor after corridor, shifting uncomfortably closer to him. There was something creepy about this manor; even the shadows seemed to hide a lurking evil; and Malfoy was Harry's best hope of protection.

Eventually, as Harry was beginning to despair of even Malfoy knowing where they were, they arrived at the "coming and going" room. Malfoy snatched up the pot of Floo powder and glared imperiously at Harry.

"After you, Pet." He motioned the fireplace and raised a challenging eyebrow. Harry wondered momentarily if Malfoy actually wanted him to argue, but he stepped eagerly into the cold fireplace on his own. No where Malfoy sent him could be worse than this place.

He swallowed uncomfortably when Malfoy stepped in as well, pushing unnecessarily close to his body and dropping a handful of Floo powder to the floor at their feet. Harry experienced the unusual sensation of magical fire springing to life around him, before they were spinning through fireplaces to Malfoy's destination.

Harry tumbled out of the fireplace when they came to a halt, scrambling up from the floor as quickly as possibly, embarrassingly aware that Malfoy had stepped out calmly, walking over Harry's body and ignoring the new parts on show. He smoothed his clothes out compulsively as Malfoy led him out of a far more opulent coming and going room than the one they had left, and into an equally lavish corridor.

Once again Harry was at Malfoy's mercy, as this new building looked large enough that Harry could die from starvation before being found if he got lost. They walked past several closed doors and portraits of what had to be Malfoy ancestors, before climbing up a set of stairs and down a new corridor into another Wing of the house. Malfoy spoke throughout the walk.

"I inherited the Manor last month when I came of age, as Father was still in Azkaban. I've only been interred for a month, so I have not finished sorting through the hidden areas and dark objects. If there are any areas that are closed, do not go in them. If I tell you not to go somewhere, do not go there. I'm certain whatever gets you would be worse than any punishment I could think up.

"This is the family wing. I have moved into the Master's suite, and you will be housed in the Consort's chambers. The Nursery has been cleaned and aired in preparation for our first child, but the actual contents and decoration will not be added until you are pregnant." Harry shuddered at the thought of his imminent pregnancy, but he also felt a deep pain knowing that he would have no control over anything of his child's life.

Malfoy reached a door set partway through the corridor and opened it, leading Harry into the most sumptuous rooms he had ever seen. They had walked into a small sitting area, with a bedroom visible through one door and a bathroom through another. Each room, or what he could see of them, had been done to great expense, and it looked beautiful.

Malfoy had been watching him explore and admire the rooms with his typical smirk, but when harry turned his speechless gaze on him, the smirk turned into something resembling a smile.

"The walls are white at the moment because each new consort adds his or her own decorative touch. When I have left, call one of the Elves using this bell and instruct them as to your favoured decoration. I would prefer it if the rooms did not in any way resemble the Gryffindor common rooms, however.

This door here is attached to the Master's suite. It only opens from my side, but if you need me at night then pull the bell cord and I will come through. This door," Malfoy motioned to another door across the room, mostly disguised by a tapestry. "Leads to the nursery. It's locked as well, since the nursery isn't in use.

For now, unless I or one of the elves leads you anywhere, you're confined to these rooms. This is for your own safety as well; until you're more used to the manor you're likely to get lost."

Harry tensed, but he had to agree that Malfoy was correct about this. He nodded slowly in agreement. Malfoy seemed to sense Harry's change in attitude, and corrected his as well, his posture tensing and any semblance of a smile vanishing from his lips.

"There are rules and a schedule on the desk, read and memorise them. Any infringements of the rules will be punished. Dinner is in one hour, I'll send your Elf Tidus to lead you to the dining room. If Tidus is forced to fetch me for any reason you will regret it."

Malfoy stalked out before Harry could respond, leaving Harry alone in his new prison. He looked around, for the moment avoiding the desk and its set of rules. He found a chess set beside the bookshelf, obviously Malfoy was expecting to play it with him. The bookshelf itself held several books on childbirth, pregnancy and infanthood; all of their textbooks; a few books that looked suspiciously like they were pureblood culture and etiquette guides and several fiction books. Harry was particularly interested in these – beyond Ron's Mad Muggle comics; Harry had never really read Wizarding fiction. The bottom shelf held empty parchment tubes, the corresponding parchment and ink likely waiting in the desk to be filled.

It was a quite nice room, under other circumstances Harry would have enjoyed living here, he was certain. The grounds he could see out of the window were expansive and there was enough space to fly safely without fear of Muggles seeing him.

Now, however, knowing he was being kept here to be Draco Malfoy's personal whore and incubator, the room made him feel just as cold as the man himself did. Harry hated him, and he hated this room. Most especially he hated the bed he could see through the door, certain that one day soon that bed would be the scene of Malfoy's worst victories over him and his body.

Uncertain of what else to do, and still refusing to read the rules set out for him, Harry decided it was time to really see what had been done to his body. He entered the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror, caught for a second by the deadened look to his eyes and his hollow cheeks. He glanced away and warily slid the tunic off, allowing it to pool carelessly at his feet as he stepped closer to the mirror.

Nothing seemed to be different at first. He was much thinner, making his hips more prominent. He thought they may have become a little wider, but couldn't say for certain if that wasn't merely the effects to being in the cell. His nipples were much darker than normal, and a little larger as well, the flesh around them softer and swollen, but nothing like true breasts, he imagined. Importantly, his penis was still there, it appeared larger even, but Harry realised that this was because of the lack of pubic hair. He wondered if that would ever grow back.

Nervously, he pushed his penis and ball sack to the side, wondering if this was just insanity or a bad dream as he explored the area behind them. He felt tears blurring his eyes as his fingers caught a little on a small lip of flesh on the once flat expanse of skin, a little hole that wound deep into his body to form the birth canal Voldemort had been so proud of. He really was a hermaphrodite, a freak who wasn't even male any more.

He jerked his hands away from his skin as though burned and tugged the tunic back into place, no longer caring about wearing the dress-like outfit. He washed his hands mechanically, struggling to cope with this new information. He just wanted it to all go away. He wanted to throw up, or cry. Or hit something, very hard.

It was into this destructive frame of mind that Tidus entered, coming to fetch his new Master for dinner. Harry had to remind himself that Tidus, like him, was a prisoner of Malfoy's pleasure and meant nothing by the summons. Wearily he followed the Elf to dinner, and to his fate.


	3. Interlude 1, Meanwhile

Meanwhile, in a derelict house in London, many very upset and worried people were gathered around a table. All of them were there for and worried about only one thing, the disappearance of Harry Potter.

At the moment, Severus Snape was holding court. He looked even more displeased and unhappy than he normally did, a testament to the effects that Harry's disappearance had on those gathered. He looked around the people with him, all watching him expectantly. He was their spy, their only source of information, and now their only hope that the boy they sought still lived.

"I was called to Him several days ago and a potion was requested. It was an innocuous potion; one I thought little of at the time. The potion was the Hermaphrodite potion, used to render a male capable of giving birth. Many of the Purebloods have expressed desire to have children, and He is pushing them to swell the ranks also, however it is widely known that there are far more pureblood males than females. I believed at the time that one or more of his followers were planning on having a child through this method. However He would not tell me who it was for. I discovered today when I presented him with the finished potion that it was, in fact, destined for a prisoner. He would then be passed on to Draco Malfoy, who has never hidden his dislike of the female sex and is soon to join the Death Eaters. I was forced to give the potion to the prisoner myself." He paused, clearly struggling with what to say next. From the tearful way that several of the people in the room had reacted, and the bare restrain that Remus held over Sirius, it was clear they understood. "I could not bear to stay and watch, but Voldemort announced that Harry had taken the potion. He appeared little worse for wear; he has been subjected to the Cruciatus, but I was permitted to administer a nerve healing agent while he slept. Aside from this, he had at that point, suffered very little abuse. I am unsure how Draco will proceed with him; however I am attempting to ingratiate myself with him and see Harry again. Draco trusts me; I dare say I was more of a father to him that Lucius ever was."

Despite the tears on her cheeks, Granger was typically full of questions.

"But why? Why Harry; surely Voldemort would rather kill him, to secure his place and end the prophecy?"

"Voldemort desires power far more than he does an end to the prophecy. He believes Harry weakened and powerless now, and in a way this is true. Harry is bound by wards on the collar he wears that prevent him actively working magic against Draco or Voldemort, and pregnancy will drain a great deal of his power. He believes that Harry is as defeated thus as he would be if he were dead; and he is likely planning on killing Harry once he has produced the requisite child or children, especially in order to prevent him influencing them. As to why he has done this, the nature of the pregnancy explains this. When a child is in the womb, it absorbs parts of its mother's magic, thus strengthening its own magic. This weakens the mother through the pregnancy, but as the child is absorbing magic and not capacity, the mother is not weakened after the pregnancy." He paused when he noticed the confusion on some faces, and sighed irritably.

"Let me try to explain... This cup, it currently holds liquid, yes? Now, the capacity for liquid does not change, the cup will always be able to hold this much liquid. However the liquid inside can change. If I take a very large drink from it, there will be less liquid in it. However I can top it up. Also, I can change the type of liquid in the cup. It is the same for magic, and Wizard's magic capacity never changes, however their magic does. A large magical spending will drain them, and they can use and absorb different magics – nature magic, dark magic, sex magic. These are like different liquids. Now, the magical "cup" isn't filled like you would fill this glass, instead it is filled by absorbing and exchanging with the magic in the very atmosphere around you, and your own body produces magic itself quite naturally.

"Pregnancy would be like attaching a small cup to this one, and allowing some of this magic to drain into it. It helps the smaller cup fill and absorb magic, but as the smaller vessel is still developing and becoming a child, it is still flexible and the magical capacity can be changed. Dark magic does this by stealing capacity from a developing foetus, which is why when pregnant you should never even be near dark magics, and why those who practice dark magics produce more squibs. If the mother is particularly weak, the vessel will not develop much, and if she is strong it will develop and expand further, thus a weak Witch will usually produce weak children. This is, of course, not always the case. His mother was rather weak, but through her blood was the strong magical capacity of his line. Also, the father's magic is also used, so long as he remains with the mother through pregnancy. This is why it is recommended not to have children with Muggles, although this is not strictly true, and also why a weak Witch and a strong Wizard may still produce strong children.

For male pregnancy, the foetus is tied to the father by stronger magics than in a female one, and thus they absorb more magic, making them stronger. Also, weak Wizards tend to miscarry, so it is the stronger Wizard who will tend to produce offspring, who will naturally be stronger. The Malfoy line, like the Slytherin one, is old and therefore there is magical capacity in that bloodline. And any child of Potter's will have his magical bloodline, which is strong itself, plus the magics from His near death – so they will carry some of the Slytherin capacity, and will likely have Parseltongue also. Therefore, Potter's child will be very strong – it is in fact rumoured that Potter's line comes from a Potter's daughter in the Scottish wilderness, who fell pregnant from a Lord but refused to say who he was. Theirs is the only descending line from the woman's or the Lord's still living, so all that magic will focus on the child."

"By Lord, you mean..."

"That Potter is the last living descendant of Gryffindor? Yes, that is what is rumoured."

"So, Voldemort wants Harry because he and Draco will make very highly powerful children."

"Yes, and also incredibly beautiful children. Voldemort is not above vanity, and Potter's child will not want for admirers. Voldemort plans to have Draco raise Potter's child completely loyal to him, and when he or she comes of age, to take them as his consort. For this reason I believe he will have Potter carry several children if he can, so he shall have more to chose from. Perhaps he would keep the others and lovers, or have children off all of them. Perhaps he will even pass the younger and weaker ones to his most loyal Death Eaters as spouses."

"Oh God, poor Harry. And to do such a thing to a child!" Molly cried, looking at once a furious mother ready to defend her children, and a heartbroken woman.

"We have to rescue him!" Sirius yelled. "We can't let his children to that fate!"

"It is possible that Draco has already impregnated him. The first weeks after the potion are the most fertile. If so, we shall need to have Draco along as well; unlike with a female pregnancy where the woman can survive without the father, in a male pregnancy the drain is far greater and Harry will need Draco's contribution." Severus added, privately hoping for a chance to rescue his Godson as well.

"We shall worry about that if it comes to it." Dumbledore responded. "For now, we shall focus on bringing Harry home."


	4. Chapter 3, Dungeons and a Dinner Date

**Chapter three: Dinner and a Dungeon Date**

Harry followed Tidus to the informal dining room, sitting obediently across from Malfoy. He glared at the smug brat as one of the other House Elves began serving dinner, and Tidus fussed around him, setting his napkin on his lap and filling his glass with water. The Elf finally moved away, but only far enough to begin dishing the food onto his plate for him.

Harry was still feeling delicate from the Potion and emotional turmoil, and was not about to meekly eat from Malfoy's table. He could barely handle the thought of food, and Malfoy's supposed ownership of him, the casual way he ordered Harry around, was making his stomach rebel even more. He pushed the plate away from himself a little, slouching in the seat.

"Eat, Harry. You'll need to keep your strength up, especially after your time with the Dark Lord." Harry glared at him again, angry that he was being treated like this; like Malfoy had the right to order him around. He pushed the plate away harder. "Eat, Harry, or I will be forced to punish you." Malfoy gritted. Harry slammed away from the table, heedless of the dizziness this caused and suddenly furious.

"I'm not just something you can order around! You don't own me; I don't care what you think! It's your stupid fault I can't eat anyway, you and your disgusting potions making me ill just so _you_ can have a baby!" Harry picked the plate up and, too enraged to care about the consequences, threw it at Malfoy.

Somehow, he wasn't very surprised to feel his own magic draining away, pushed by the collar to displace the plate so it hit the wall several feet from its intended target. The drain on his magic, combined with his previous dizziness and the surge of adrenaline conspired to have him collapse to his knees, panting as fear replaced anger.

Malfoy stood out of his seat, the tight clench of his fist the only indication of his anger and he grabbed Harry upright, glaring at him. "Obviously you need some time to calm down and remember your place." He snarled, dragging Harry down a corridor and two flights of stairs. Harry tried to fight, but his weakness and the Collar's hold on him prevented his struggles. He sobbed softly as he was pushed into a cell, the door slamming shut and the heavy sound of the lock falling into place echoing in the room.

Harry scrambled weakly to the door, knocking and pushing at it, begging incoherently as he realised that Malfoy intended to leave him in here. The fears that had risen in him in Voldemort's dungeons rose again to overwhelm him, and soon Harry passed out, still cowering by the door.

He didn't know how long he'd been out when he came to, a fact that greatly disturbed him. The light in the room was no help either, as it came from a single torch high up on the wall; too high for Harry to reach. He stood up, still very weak and trembling from the cold and shock. He staggered as he stood, forced to lean against the wall as his only support.

The room was a little nicer than the one he'd stayed in while in Voldemort's dubious care, he noticed. Perhaps a little bigger than his Cupboard, the bare stone walls and floor mean the room was freezing cold. Thankfully he had been left a pile of blankets in the corner, his only means of keeping himself warm and marginally comfortable. He also had a small object in the corner that he realised was for his bodily waste. He was grateful to Malfoy for the consideration, as he was certain that normally the guests here would have to just try to avoid their waste; however he was also frightened, it was a definite sign he'd be in here for more than just a few hours.

He angrily knocked over the only other item in the room, a glass of water that neither broke, nor spilled. He snarled wordlessly at it, the object a sudden focus of his rage, before slumping in the pile of blankets and huddling them around his shaking body.

Harry was unaware of time passing in his small cell, aware only of the shaking coldness that barely faded as he huddled in on himself. He existed in a half-conscious state, often drift off for what felt like moments but may well have been eternities. Finally, a few moments or hours later, he fell back into a true sleep; curled up against the wall of his cell.

He woke once again to find the room seemingly unchanged, and yet he felt and odd sense of disturbance. The glass that had been on its side was now righted and the torch had been refreshed, making the room brighter, but barely. He was no longer shaking, but his extremities were still cold, and his throat was raw with thirst. He sighed, feeling a little defeated as he reached for the glass and drank some of the cool liquid, sighing in real pleasure as it soothed his throat and his stomach, now twisted in hunger. He drained the glass rapidly, but regretted it as the water settled to heavily on his stomach and made him feel sick. The glass refilled itself as soon as it was empty, which relieved him. He'd spent too long dehydrated, having no water in Voldemort's cell, and it had caused a headache. He realised that he hadn't relieved himself since the first humiliating day of his capture, a sign of dangerous levels of dehydration, and began sipping on the water. Defeated or not, he had to keep himself alive, and he didn't like to think what Malfoy would do to him if he didn't drink anything.

With his thirst satisfied and his body warmed, Harry found that he had little left to focus on. He was still exhausted, and would relish the chance to sleep; hoping that when he woke up again the pain would all be gone. He doubted it, however, and he was a little fearful of what would find him while he slept.

The sudden flicker of the torch was Harry's only warning before it extinguished itself, leaving him huddled in darkness. Terror grabbed him, bad memories of battling to protect himself from the rats and the insects in Voldemort's cell assaulted him, and Harry's panicked imagination conjured up the sounds he feared, rat's feet in the corners, the low hum of insects searching for a place to bite. He huddled further in his blankets, the panic catching his breath until finally it became too much for him and he passed out again.

Harry was woken this time by the banging of doors, before he heard his lock jangle and open. Malfoy was stood in the doorway, the light from the hallway behind him illuminating him and making him appear to Harry's feverish, hurt mind as an angel sent to save him. The soft hands that gentled his hair back from his brow and sent soothing warmth through his body only increased the impression.

The angel tucked the blankets more tightly around Harry, and suddenly he was being lifted, carried away. He tucked his head trustingly under his angel's chin and nuzzled into his warmth, trusting the angel to take care of him.


	5. Chapter 4, Illness and Care

Draco tucked Harry gently into his bed, soothing him as the boy whimpered in fear at being let go of. Tidus had prepared a bowl of soup for Harry, his reports indicating that starvation was beginning to affect the boy. However the chilled limbs that clung to him like a drowning man to a life-rope suggested that Draco had other things to worry about first. He had Tidus draw a warm bath quickly for him, and gently stripped the tunic from Harry's body. Despite the coldness of his body, Harry was sweating and the more sensitive parts of his body were blazing hot to the touch, indicating a fever. He sent Tidus for the Medi-Wizard as he laid Harry in the bath, holding him down as the boy screamed and reacted like he was being burned. Soon, the warmth setting his nerves on fire settled, and Harry moaned at the spreading heat.

Draco began carefully washing him, ridding his body of sweat and the grime from the cell. He didn't like what the thorough cleaning was showing him. Despite the clean condition that Harry had been presented to him in, an in-depth examination revealed that he was much too thin, and revealed burns, cuts and bites along parts of his body. It was obvious that infection had set in to the bites, and there were no signs of healing in the rope burns around his wrists and ankles. He lash marks Draco found on his back infuriated him further, several of them had broken skin and infection appeared to be setting in there.

Part of his fury was at the Death Eaters who had been guarding him, but some of it was aimed at himself for not taking the time to examine Harry thoroughly when they'd arrived. He was almost dreading what he'd find as he cleaned and explored the area between Harry's cheeks gently, but aside from the shock of finding Harry's vaginal opening, there was thankfully nothing more to discover. They had obviously not violated him here. He withdrew quickly when Harry began whimpering discontentedly, and lifted him out of the water. He began drying him with heated towels, summoning his own, warmest pair of flannel pyjamas for him. Once he was dried and warm, he carried him back to the bed. He hated how light and easy to carry Harry was, and how much space there was in the pyjamas. Draco was not a large boy by any means, and under normal circumstances he and Harry should be about the same size.

The Medi-Wizard arrived promptly, and began carefully examining Harry. Draco held and soothed him as the Medi-Wizard's examination grew more invasive, the boy writhing painfully at the exploration of his bites and lash marks.

"These have been left untreated for too long. Hopefully Algae Balm will work on them, but you should keep a very close eye on the boy to ensure they don't worsen." He applied the balm to the wounds, ignoring Harry's cries of pain and Draco's gentle soothing. "As for the welts, they should disappear on their own. The Algae Balm will help as well. He may find them a little irritating, but under no circumstance is he allowed to scratch any of his wounds. As for the rope burns, I'm going to have to clean them thoroughly. There's still rope fibre in there, and with our luck it will settle into another infection. I would recommend knocking him fully unconscious for this part, but in the state he's in I can't risk it. Try to hold him still." The Medi-Wizard instructed. Draco held Harry gently, soothing him as he began screaming hoarsely from the pain as the Medi-Wizard began rubbing cleaning agent over the burns on his wrists and ankles, before immediately applying a healing balm and bandages. "Hopefully they will heal in a couple of days, but the infected wounds will take several more days. His innate magic is working just to keep him alive right now, so there's no magical healing going on, and normal healing is also slowed by illness. Is there anything else?"

"Yes. He's been given the Hermaphrodite Potion." Draco said softly. "But there's been no activity yet."

"Hmm, I'll have a little look." The Medi-Wizard murmured, pulling Harry's shirt away and examining his nipples. "The mammaries appear to have developed quite well. This area will be sensitive, so try not to be too over-enthusiastic." He closed Harry's shirt, leaving Draco to re-button it as he pulled Harry's trousers off and applied a new pair of gloves. "Normally I have a special seat and everything for this, but I suppose this will have to do."

Harry panicked and cried out as he felt latex-covered fingers probe at his new opening, struggling to close his legs. Draco held him tightly and whispered softly to him until he fell silent, submitting trustfully to his angel. The Medi-Wizard gently applied his Medi-Wand to the area, tendrils of magic examining him internally. "No, it all looks good. Obviously a very talented Potions Maker did this, and his illness doesn't appear to have influenced the development. The womb is strong and healthy and fertile as well." He slipped Harry's trousers back into place and watched as Draco tenderly covered him in a blanket before leaving his side to speak privately with the Wizard.

"He's been dehydrated, starved and badly beaten. The fever is down, and the damage to his nerves from, I can only assume the Cruciatus, has already been dealt with. Reapply those potions three times a day for the next few days, and make sure the fever doesn't come back. He'll need lots of food, but gentle foods. Soups and warm broths, every four hours. Make him drink a glass of tepid, but not cold, water every hour to two hours. He'll begin peeing a lot, that's a good sign and you can relax a bit after that starts. I'm assuming the Hermaphrodite Potion is for a reason?"

"Yes, I'm hoping to get him pregnant soon."

"Wait a week or so, give his body a chance to heal. He'll be highly fertile for another few days to a week after that. If his injuries are healed and he doesn't relapse into a fever, everything should go well. If not, contact me."

"Thank you." Draco replied, "Tidus has credited your account already." The Medi-Wizard nodded and left, secure in the knowledge that the credit would be there would be more than usual, to protect the identities of the two parties. He would ensure the extra money was put to good use when he made his report to the Order.


	6. Interlude 2, Severus Snape

Severus Snape tuned out the continuing lecture from the Medi-Wizard who had betrayed his Godson. He had read the reports already, and he needed little explanation for the list of injuries, having seen them all too often before. The only point of interest he had so far found was the lack of sexual activity found on the boy, a fact which gave him hope for his Godson.

He was currently reading a letter from said Godson, a missive asking Severus for the one thing he feared he could not give; help on the taming and caring for of one Harry Potter. A part of him wished he could hide the letter and pretend not to have received it, ignore it and hope it would all go away. Thus far he had been unsuccessful in locating his Godson; the one letter he had sent had received no reply and the Manor was warded so that only a pre-arranged entry was allowed. Severus had both feared and hoped that he would never gain a summons to the Manor. His loyalty to Dumbledore and the Order meant that he would have to help in retrieving the missing boy; his budding relationship with the boy's Godparents only increased this pressure. He had precious little patience for Potter himself, but had forced himself to admit the boy was not as bad as he had imagined. However, this did not change his feelings for his own Godson, a boy he thought of far more as a son than he was certain either Lucius or Narcissa did.

The Medi-Wizard finished his far too detailed lecture on the happy note that Potter had yet to be raped and likely would not for another week, and therefore was not yet pregnant. By the murderous look on some faces, he had no doubt that if they did rescue Harry within the week, his Godson's life may well be forfeit. Several people in the room, his own partner included, were openly weeping at the abuse the child had suffered, and by the comments few people were taking the time to sort out their feelings for Draco against their feelings for the ones that had actually harmed the boy.

Dumbledore had, of course, noticed the letter he had received, and was giving him the all-knowing look. Severus sighed, pushing down the horrible feeling rising in his stomach that he was finally betraying the one person he had no doubt loved him.

"Draco has written to me." Never before, and he doubted never again, would such an innocuous and quietly spoken statement silence a room as this one did.

"He has, Severus? What has he said?" Severus looked around the people in the room, noting with no small amount of irritation that there were several glares aimed at him. Of course, if Draco was writing to him then he must be equated with one of them.

"He has asked me to join him in his Manor this afternoon. He feels he needs some guidance in how to handle young Mister Potter."

"Why you?" Moody snarled, ever suspicious. "Why would he insist on asking _you_ for guidance?"

"Because, as I have already said before, I am the closest Draco has to a true father figure. Certainly if he showed this kind of weakness to Lucius the man would have punished him severely. Also, I believe I am the only one to have offered the advice he needs without seemingly trying to manipulate or condescend him. He trusts me." And I will betray that trust severely, he did not add. By the look in Remus' eye, the other man at least could understand Severus' private feelings on the matter.

"How will we use this to our advantage?" Kingsley asked the room at large.

"I could possibly use a Portkey to remove the boy. Unfortunately any other escape option is closed to us – Apparating without permission would lead both of us to the dungeons, Flooing would have both of us Flooed to the room Draco was in or to the dungeons. If I tried to walk out with him I would be stopped by a House Elf, likely before I had even left the room. However the Malfoy Manor is weakly warded where Portkeys are concerned, and I would be better able to create one strong enough to break the Wards. If I am caught, however..."

"Yes, we are aware that this is our only option. We must do something. Perhaps you can try to talk him out of it?" Dumbledore asked, as ever optimistic to the last.

"You know I can not. He has made it clear that if Harry is not at the least pregnant by next Christmas, then Draco himself will become a Death Eater plaything, and Harry would be passed on to someone else. The risk to Draco is too strong to persuade him not to, and I believe he is too enamoured of Harry to truly fight this. I can not offer him the protection of the Order without revealing myself, and I believe Draco's pride would prevent him from joining us right now anyway. After the incarceration of his father, Draco sees the Death Eaters as the only way to redeem the Malfoy name." Severus' words were bitter and pained, the situation his Godson was in burning him in all too familiar ways.

"So we are forced to use subterfuge, and sacrifice Draco. You realise that when Voldemort finds out Harry is missing, he will likely kill Draco?" Severus wondered briefly if Dumbledore was saying this to offer him the way out that he would not take, or to remind everyone that the process of saving one teenager would condemn another to death. If it was the latter, it was unsuccessful; clearly most people in this room saw Draco now as a Death Eater, not a human and certainly not a seventeen year old boy.

"Draco has chosen his path, and I have no doubt the boy will find an escape. The Malfoy family has survived for more centuries than I care to count; I doubt they will end here."

"Very well, Severus. Go to him this afternoon and make your arrangements to see him again. We shall hold another meeting tomorrow to discuss the situation further and make the Portkey for you."

The meeting broke apart shortly afterwards. Severus moved rapidly to his lovers, finding Sirius sleeping soundly on Remus' shoulder, the potion the men had slipped into his drink obviously working. He sighed and ran a hand tenderly through the other man's hair, loathing the lines of tension and the loss of weight that had already returned to his frame. They had worked so hard to restore Sirius to his pre-Azkaban state, but just one tension-fraught week had ruined their hard work.

"How is he?"

"Exhausted, upset, guilty, frightened. He hasn't eaten; barely sleeps and I keep waiting to find empty bottles beside the sink." Severus flinched. It had taken a long time and a lot of work to wean Sirius from the alcohol that had been his companion the long year of exile after Azkaban. He was equally as worried as Remus that the weak man may return to his solace.

"Why guilty? Surely he does not think he could have protected Harry better?" Severus asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"No, not about Harry, Severus. He feels guilty about _you_. We both do. We are all asking so much of you already, and now we ask you to forsake your son – and Draco is as much as son to you as Harry is to us, perhaps more so – for us. For him."

"I..." Severus sat and buried his head in his hands, feeling the weight of his actions and role in ways he never had before. "I feel awful, guilty. Sickened. I made that potion, as much as I hoped it would be for a good cause I knew, deep down inside, what he would use it for. I think I always knew. And yet... I can't help but hope, Remus..."

"You hope that Draco will get Harry pregnant, that we'll have to take him in." Remus stated softly, not judging or deriding Severus. This was one of the reasons he loved this man.

"Yes. Merlin help me but _yes_, Remus! How can I do this, how can I hope to betray him, to be the one to take Harry from him? When all I can see in this situation is Harry saving him, Harry being the one thing that will draw him to our side. And if I fail in my task... The others have always blamed me for my failures, and I have always ignored them, because I knew I did my best. But what if... What if I fail because subconsciously I _want_ to fail?"

"No! Severus, listen to me! You know yourself better than that. You know what Draco, and what Voldemort will do to Harry. As much as you may hope for Draco's sake that Harry conceives by him, for Harry's sake it would be easier to draw him out now. And you said it yourself; Malfoys always have a way out. What if this time, with you and Harry on our side and Voldemort now against him; maybe this is what Draco will need to come to our side? And you know better than anyone that a strong relationship cannot be built on rape.

Severus, whether or not you succeed in your task, I promise you this; we _will_ bring Draco and Harry back to us, we will save them both. And you, you will try your best. It's all we can ask of you."

Severus bowed his head, before nodding. He stood up slowly, feeling every one of his years in his frame. His hand hesitated over his pocket for a moment, before withdrawing a vial. He handed it silently to Remus, before pressing and kisses first to his lips, then to their somnolent mate's. "I must go now if I am to arrive on time. Please, think about that," he indicated the vial, "for when this is all over."

After Severus left, Remus turned the vial in his hands over. He gasped as he read the label: "Hermaphrodite draught, male version."


	7. Chapter 5, Betrayal

Draco settled into a comfortable winged chair in Harry's room, trying mostly unsuccessfully to read his Defence text as he watched over the feverish young man. With his NEWTs at the end of the year, this situation really couldn't have come at a worst time. He growled and snapped his book closed, jumping out of the chair and beginning to pace. He had invited Severus to come to the Manor and the man should be here soon; within the hour hopefully. Draco was waiting most impatiently for him.

He walked over to Harry beside the bed, summoning and Elf to fetch him another glass of water. The Medi-Wizard's orders had been to give Harry a drink every hour or two, and so far Draco had yet to miss an hour. The boy would have to be fed in an hour as well as have a drink; Draco could only hope Severus would not mock him for his caring attentions, but Harry had shown that he would only eat or drink from his hand.

He regretfully woke the sleeping boy, helping him to sit up. He slumped drowsily, but wakened further when he felt the straw from the glass poke at his lips. Draco had found the odd Muggle device to be a nuisance at first, but the Medi-Wizard had been right when he demonstrated how much easier it was to control Harry's intake without him choking or spilling the drink. Unfortunately, Harry found it difficult to summon the energy to suck the liquid through the straw, so the act of drinking became a long and exhausting process. Much like lunch had been and dinner was likely to be.

Once Harry had drunk his fill and begun pushing ineffectually at the glass, Draco moved it away and tucked the boy in. So far his boy was not producing any sort of waste, a fact that Draco was equally grateful and worried for. He was not looking forward to dealing with that situation when it arose, but it would be one of the best indications that Harry was getting better. Within moments of Harry lying down, once again without the need to expel the liquid he had taken in, the boy was sleeping. Again.

Draco sighed and settled in a bit more in the big bed, stroking his hand tenderly through Harry's hair. The boy still looked a fright; pale and drawn, with dark circles around his eyes and bloody, dry lips. He ran a gentle finger over one of the lips before summoning some of the balm to healer had left, rubbing it gently over Harry's lips. The balm included vitamins, so as Harry licked his lips he would draw more into his body, but most importantly it would heal the deep gashes where he's torn into his lips to prevent screaming, and would stop them cracking dryly. He sighed and settled again, leaving the balm on his bedside cabinet. Even Harry's usually defiant hair had gone limp and lifeless.

When Draco woke up some time later after several disturbing dreams (several involving Harry's hair, independently chasing him with lip balm), it was to Severus shaking his shoulder gently.

"What... Severus? But, you're not due for an hour."

"Indeed not, Draco, I am in fact several minutes late. You were sleeping."

"Obviously." Draco muttered as he bent over Harry. His lips were still nice and moist looking, but the small drool stain on the pillow indicated he'd been asleep for a while. "What time is it?"

"Time for dinner, according to your clock." Severus drawled, sounding a little annoyed by Draco's attitude. Draco ignored it for now.

"I'll need to feed him, where is Wakka, he should have brought the dinner up by now." Draco himself sounded annoyed now, which made Severus smirk internally. Obviously with his father no longer in residence to terrify the Elves, and the boy himself, Draco had allowed them to relax a little more. This at least boded well for Harry should Severus fail his appointed task.

"Master, Wakka brings food."

"It's late." Draco replied, as though he'd personally been waiting and watching every minute the food had been late for.

"Wakka sorry, Master, Wakka made food better for Master Harry." Apparently invoking Harry's name was a magical cure-all for Draco, because the boy said nothing further and instead allowed the Elf to proceed unheeded in serving them.

"From now on if the food will be late, please send Yuna or Tidus to me so I'll know."

"Tidus says Master sleeping, not to disturb Master." Draco flushed a little, and ignored the Elf. He also ignored the plate obviously laid out for himself, and began the process of waking Harry. "Would Master Sevvy like some food? Wakka made enough!" The Elf squeaked. Severus snarled wordlessly at the nickname a very young Draco had given him. The Elf had been warned not to use it in front of the elder Malfoys or guests, but if ever the kitchen Elf found he and Draco alone the name would emerge.

"Yes thank you." He replied, settling in a chair situated rather out-of-place at the end of the bed. He presumed this was where Draco normally sat while watching over the boy, a supposition that was further supported by the NEWT Defence text resting on the cushion. "You intend to return to Hogwarts?"

"Of course, I need my education. No one there knows I have Harry, so I have no reason not to go."

"Except that you will be leaving Harry here," Severus paused to receive his plate, "and especially once he is pregnant I would assume you would find this difficult."

"I did consider living in the flat in Hogsmeade with him and commuting in, many Seventh years have done it in the past, however I felt this would raise suspicions on me. I will Floo home at the weekends; the Headmaster cannot prevent me as I am considered legally an adult now and would have to return to maintain my Estate anyway."

"Yes, this is true. Would you use my Floo?"

"If you wouldn't mind, I would appreciate that. I could use the Common Room fire, but that would raise attention that I don't want."

"No this is true. Very well then." Severus continued to eat as Draco fed Harry, watching how weak and hurt the boy was. Draco had explained how he had gotten into this situation in his letter, and the Medi-Wizard had filled in the blanks for him. Nothing prepared him for actually seeing his haggard looking adoptive-Godson, however. He struggled to maintain his outward calm in the face of his inner rage at the people who had done this to the boy – to both of them. Harry had never before been his favourite person, but he meant a lot to Sirius and Remus and had wormed his way into Severus' affections over the years. To see the normally bright, lively boy like this broke something deep inside.

"Why have you brought me here, Draco?" Severus asked, tiredness colouring his tone.

"Isn't it obvious? Look at him Severus! Look at what I did to him!"

"I don't think you whipped, starved, cursed and beat him, Draco. You may have exacerbated it a little but I have no doubt he deserved it."

"No... No he didn't deserve it. That's the problem. He wouldn't eat because he was feeling ill and still in pain, but I refused to listen to him."

"Yes, but now you will listen to him. You appear to be taking good care of him, Draco; it was just unfortunate that he was not in a very good condition when you received him."

"So... You think I should continue as I am. Just taking care of him."

"I would recommend that, yes. He responds to you, he's eating from your hand. The boy dislikes authority figures, so will likely rebel if you attempt to take authority over him. Now, you intend to... Impregnate him soon, yes?"

"Christmas day. I know it's probably clichéd, but the Medi-Wizard said he would be back to full health by then anyway. I'll take his... him, then."

"How do you intend to do it? This is rape, you realise Draco." Draco flinched, a tightness around his lips and eyes now. "He will not submit to you willingly, if at all; I doubt that seduction will work any better than force."

"I wanted to force him. I've wanted him for so long, but he's rejected my time and time again. I hated him as much as I loved him, wanted to hurt him, to fuck him, make him bleed and scream and beg. Looking at him now, knowing he's done these things... It makes me sick. I _can't_ hurt him now, never mind if I want to, which I don't. I know he won't be happy submitting to me... But for the sake of his unborn children, I think I can persuade him. He's almost as stupidly sentimental as I apparently am, he won't want them conceived in violence and rape any more than I will."

"You... intend to seduce him?" Severus asked, doubt in his voice as well as surprise.

"You could call it that, I suppose." He picked up his own food and began eating it, leaving Harry to lean weakly against him and digest the precious little food he'd eaten.

"I think you are doing well without my assistance, Draco. You make me proud. Many others would have raped and beaten him by now and damned the consequences. That you are caring enough to feed him by hand, to wait, shows me exactly the kind of person you are, and gives me hope for you both, and your children." Severus pretended not to see the tears gathering in Draco's eyes, knowing this was a speech he had both desired and dreaded hearing from his father – it took a very different sort of man to make Lucius Malfoy proud. "I must leave now, shall I return tomorrow?"

"Yes, please Severus." Severus bowed his head and left, returning to his chambers at Hogwarts; to a lonely sleepless night remembering the love in his Godson's eyes for the final time before it became betrayal.

Draco led Harry to the bathroom once Severus had left, and perched the boy on the toilet seat. Harry was still weakly clinging to him, locked in fevered delirium but somewhat responsive. "Do you need the toilet yet Harry?" He asked, feeling a twinned mix of happy and sad when the boy shook his head. "Okay, I'm going to give you a nice bath, okay? No more nasty cleaning charms, a real proper bath this time."

He smiled sadly when Harry just nodded his head, and began gently stripping the boy. He lifted him all too easily and laid him in the bath the House Elves had already instructed him to run. Despite the bath he'd given Harry this morning, he was still unsatisfied with the boy's level of cleanliness, and his hair had not been washed in over a week. Draco was also somewhat worried that the messy mop of hair might be hiding a head injury, based on Harry's actions. Therefore it was the head that Draco started at, massaging the soap through his hair tenderly and grinning happily as Harry moaned and leaned into his touch. Thankfully there were no sensitive areas indicating injury on his head, and no blood mixed in with the grime in his hair.

He moved swiftly to cleaning his body, glad that the injuries were already beginning to show signs of healing. He had almost finished when he felt Harry stiffen, before the bathwater began slowly changing colour. He frowned, before realisation dawned and he pulled away from the bath. He summoned Tidus at the same time as he brandished his wand to levitate Harry from the bath, rescuing his injured areas from the contaminated water. Tidus cleared and cleaned the bath quickly to Draco could replace Harry in the tub. He frowned at the boy, glad that his body was beginning to work but disturbed at the seeming lack of control he had over it. Harry was blushing, shamed despite his illness. Draco sighed softly and stroked and clean hand through his hair.

"It's good, Harry. Well done, but next time try to warn me, okay? There's nothing to be ashamed of." The boy nodded shyly, still not looking at him, but the affirmation satisfied Draco. He conjured warm water in a stream from his wand and began re-washing his body, thankful that his swift movements had left him mostly un-contaminated. Harry was swiftly clean and bundled in a warm bathrobe to be escorted to the bedroom.

The excitement had obviously been too much for Harry, who was falling asleep where he stood, and by the time they were at the bed Draco had taken to carrying him. He lay harry down gently, at which point the boy promptly curled up away from him and fell asleep. Draco just laughed affectionately at him and fetched the cream to rub into his wounds.

The ones on his back were easy to do, but he had to struggle with the half-asleep boy to release his wrists to Draco's care in order to re-bandage them. Similarly, Harry fought to keep Draco's hands off his ankles, but he allowed him to re-apply the balm and perform a teeth-cleaning spell before he fell deeply asleep. Draco eyed his hair warily for a while before deciding it was probably safer for everyone if he just left that to itself (stubbornly telling himself it had nothing to do with bad dreams of that hair terrorising him). Once Harry was tucked up and asleep, Draco performed his own nightly rituals and collapsed in bed beside him, falling into a deep and easy sleep.

Severus returned the following afternoon, allowing Draco a welcomed break from caring for Harry. He loved the boy, and he'd found that once Harry had become ill and submitted without question to Draco's care; Draco had slipped into a care giving, dominant role easily. Draco found himself wishing that Harry would allow him to care for him like this when the boy was in full control of his faculties, but he knew it wouldn't happen. It was this knowledge that had lead him to depression as the morning wore on, especially as he began to notice signs of Harry strengthening already. Soon he'd be fighting Draco at every turn again.

Severus waited patiently, not even mentioning it as the boy ignored him at first to clean Harry and the mattress after another little accident. Since the incident in the bath the day before Harry had been conscientious enough to warn Draco the next time, however as he slept his bladder control was not as strong as it should be. Draco had worried this could be because of the kidney damage the boy had suffered, but a frantic call to the Medi-Wizard had assured him this was not so, and would likely only be a very temporary problem.

Once Harry was asleep, on his other side this time to prevent sores, and Draco had washed his hands, he and Severus settled in Harry's sitting room.

"You clean him yourself?"

"It calms him, I don't know why. His delirious mind seems to see me as some kind of a saviour, but the House Elves get a much worse reaction. I think it might be because they kept popping into the cell to check on Harry, but never helped him, whereas I removed him from it and kept him warm and pain-free." Severus nodded, accepting Draco's explanation, but his look was of concern.

"Yes, but it must be difficult for you. You look exhausted."

"I am, but it's my responsibility to look after him. I sleep when he does, eat when he does, and in the middle I study. _He_ obviously doesn't care if his followers are intelligent and have good grades." Severus laughed at the disgruntled frown on Draco's face.

"Certainly not, in the new world order all that matters is your blood. Listen Draco, I cannot remain for long; I have a rather volatile potion. However, how are you doing? And Potter, is he recovering well?"

"Harry's getting better," Draco replied, neatly side-stepping the question about himself, "He's definitely getting stronger, which is good because he's recovering, but it means we'll soon be back to battles of will." Draco looked a little disappointed about this, but Severus knew that inside he would rather have Harry as he was – fighting all the way – that have him only submitting because he was ill.

"May I check on him? I know you said the Medi-Wizard did a good job, but their potions and creams are generally sub-standard. I may be able to make something for you."

"Certainly, Severus, anything you can do to help would be appreciated."

Severus bowed to Draco and entered Harry's bedroom once again. He stripped the sheets back to his waist and raised his wand to begin his examination, but the instant the sheets were lowered, Harry reacted, yanking them up and yelling. Draco raced in and sat with him, curling up beside Harry and soothing him. Severus noticed once again that Harry seemed to calm unusually easily for Draco, allowing the boy to strip the sheets down once again and bare Harry for inspection.

Severus worked rapidly to check the boy, grudgingly admitting that the Medi-Wizard had done a good job. "It appears that your Medi-Wizard uses me as a supplier, so your creams are of the highest standard. Perhaps I will make him a potion that will strengthen him. He will certainly need iron and folic acid supplements before he even conceives." Severus continued to work, trying to be impassive in the face of still horrific injuries on the young Potter's body. Thankfully any infection had left the injuries by now, and they had begun healing well. "You've taken very good care of him, Draco. Well done, I think he will be fine."

Draco nodded and extracted himself from Harry's grip. "Can you stay with him, he's still going to feel clingy for a while after an inspection like that, and I need to use the loo." Severus nodded his acquiescence and Draco left, allowing Severus precious moments to slip the enchanted pebble into Harry's hand that would facilitate his escape. He tucked the blankets in closer for the boy and compulsively stroked his hair. He froze, however, as Harry reacted by pushing into his hand and murmuring "Dad" softly.

"Severus?" Draco asked, sensing that something had happened when he returned. Severus swallowed back the last of his reaction and turned to Draco.

"Draco, I shall take my leave now." He looked at the boy in front of him, realising sadly that this was likely the last moment they would meet like this. "You're doing very well with him Draco, you make me proud." He moved swiftly across the room and, in a move that surprised both men, hugged his young Godson. He pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, ignoring the ironic connotations, and pulled away. "I shall see you shortly." He finished, before whirling and leaving the room.

Draco sat shakily on the chair, still feeling the warmth of Severus' arms around him, the first physical affection any of his parental figures had ever bestowed on him. He smiled sweetly, relaxing into his chair as his body glowed with the warmth of his love for his Godfather.

His happiness was sorely interrupted by Tidus, who came forward hesitantly. "Master Draco? Tidus sees Master Snape give Master Harry this. Tidus senses this will take him away soon."

"Take him away? As in a Portkey?" Draco asked, his heart breaking in his chest at the implications.

"Yes Master Draco. Tidus thinks so, in half a clock." The Elf frowned at the bad stone. Draco took is with a shaking hand, ignoring the Elf. He sat at Harry's desk, still looking at the stone, before drawing a piece of parchment to him.

Half an hour later, a group of very anxious and hopeful Wizards and Witches received, rather than their expected prize, a letter instead, addressed simply to Severus Snape. They had failed.


	8. Interlude 3, Letters

Severus,

This is difficult for me. I don't understand what is happening here. Tidus has found your Portkey. I had always suspected you for a spy, although I never spoke up, and I assume this is why you have tried to kidnap Harry – certainly I do not believe that you wanted him for yourself. I can understand why you have done this, but... I cannot forgive it. I will not, of course, reveal your deception, even if this marks me as a traitor also. I do not think you have acted against me, and I do not think you ever will, and in this same way I will respect you and the bond we once had and do the same.

Harry is out of your reach now. I have added certain wards and protections to him that mean that unless I am with him, or I remove them, he cannot be removed from the Manor without first extreme agony and then, if he is not immediately returned, death. Please tell Dumbledore and his foolish friends this also, I do not want to see Harry dead.

I cannot maintain our friendship, if this is even what we have. I cannot live with looking you in the face and knowing you once betrayed me so deeply, however I will still take your classes, and I will not allow our disagreement to affect how we work together with the Dark Lord, either; I would not bring that suspicion on you.

I will assume from this that Dumbledore and the rest of his group know I am the one who has Harry. I expect they will maintain silence on this matter, or risk alerting one of the other Loyal at Hogwarts that there is a spy in the ranks who has made them aware that I have him. I will still be keeping to my weekends, although I fear I must find an alternative route out of the Castle. Please remind your people not to do something foolish and risk our secret.

Despite what has happened, I took your words to heart these last days, and I will continue to do so. Do not fear for your boy, I will care for him well. You were the closest and best thing I had for a father, Severus, and it breaks my heart to loose you so.

Draco Malfoy.

Draco,

I realise that what I have done is unforgiveable. Please understand I had your best interests at heart also. Voldemort is unstable, and will never succeed; eventually his insanity will destroy those who are loyal to him also. I do not think you are capable of being a Death Eater; your behaviour with Harry has proved that you are too kind, and you and I are both too intelligent to fall for his lines. I fear that becoming one of his will destroy you. And if not you, then Harry. A good relationship cannot be built on rape, Draco; he will never give you what you really want if the situation continues as it is. And once you have gained your heirs from his body, Voldemort will take pleasure in murdering Harry to prevent him from influencing them, or from defeating him. You hold in your home the final key to his defeat, and he knows it. Harry will never live to see his first child past five under Voldemort's control.

I know right now you feel you must continue on as you are; perhaps even your desire for Harry prevents you from freeing him. One day you shall understand what I mean when I tell you that if you love someone you should set them free, but not right now. Please know, however, that if anything ever happens, or if you believe it is time to forsake Him, come to me. My door will always be open to you, my son, and I will protect you both against any adversary – even Dumbledore.

I realise you may not fully trust me, but please believe that I am, in a way that tears me in two, happy that you discovered my subterfuge. I hope he conceives and wish you well in your children together. I have included with this the vitamins as I told you I would. Trust me, I would not endanger you by adding a contraceptive to them, and I would not endanger him by attempting to remove him from your care.

My Floo will be available to you in the evenings, and no one, even Mr Weasley, will make any allusions to knowing that you have Harry. We would rather know that you are with him and taking care of him than that he is languishing alone, and Dumbledore has made it clear that he would not have you endangering yourself or our secrets by attempting alternative passage home. Besides which, He will surely know something is amiss if I am not allowing you passage to Harry.

I wish you all the luck in the world, my son, and happiness.

With all my love, your father,

Severus Snape.

Severus,

I thank you for the vitamins. They appear to work well for Harry. He is already gaining colour rapidly; and his voice unfortunately. Gone is my submissive waif, now I have a true lion growling and hissing at me. He will be more than ready for tomorrow.

I am grateful for the offer of the Floo, and will take it. I will also offer you a report on Harry's well-being, in return, although I doubt many of your people would accept it from me. Perhaps it is a good thing that my Medi-Wizard also reports to you.

I will heed your other words, also; and I offer the same to you. Should anything go amiss for you, I will always offer you a safe haven from either side.

Yours,

Draco Malfoy.

PS. Avery is plotting to murder Fred and George Weasley by blowing up their shop next week. He has told Voldemort and many others, but he has not told the inner circle. They are unaware that I know this; I overheard them on my way to offer Voldemort an unplanned status report on Harry's condition.


	9. Chapter 6, Christmas

Harry woke several mornings later to the sight of snowflakes tumbling past the window. He stretched a little, frowning at the arms restricting his movement. He was confused for several moments, wondering why there were arms around him and why he felt so weak. The memories slowly filtered through the haze of fever; memories of pain, of time spent in the dungeon. Then better, warmer memories of being cared for and looked after in ways no one had bothered with since his parents' deaths.

He tensed as Malfoy's arms tightened, and began struggling to escape. Malfoy gave and aggrieved sigh and kissed the back of his neck, mumbling "Good morning" softly to the flesh there. Harry shivered warmly, then stiffened as he realised he was naked. He growled and managed this time to pull out of Malfoy's arms. Malfoy just stood up and snapped his fingers, summoning a House Elf who, with few spoken words, disappeared off to run a bath. Malfoy reached down and tugged until Harry climbed out of the bed or risked being pulled out. He flushed and tried to cover himself, but Malfoy just smirked and pushed him in the direction of the bathroom.

"Come, we haven't much time for our baths, we have a busy day today." Harry scrambled eagerly into the lavender-scented bath, grateful for the opportunity to cover himself. He squeaked and blushed horribly as Malfoy stripped off the little clothing he had been wearing and slid into the bath behind him, picking up the shampoo bottle. Harry struggled angrily to get away as Malfoy began washing his hair, but his attempts failed due to the collar's intervention. "Well, I'm glad to see you're feeling better today, Harry." Malfoy said cheerfully, seemingly ignoring his charge's bitter, angry struggles. Harry finally gave up, his body still weak from the infections, and allowed Malfoy to wash him. Harry was then forced to sit and sulk as Malfoy washed his own hair and body. His eyes widened when Malfoy handed him the wash-cloth and turned his back. "Do my back for me, Harry?"

Harry just stared at him in surprise for a few moments, before hurriedly putting the cloth to work as Malfoy stiffened and began to turn around. Harry was a lot of things, but stupid was not one of them. He daren't think what Malfoy would do if he continued disobeying him.

Once they were washed, Malfoy helped him out of the bath (Harry hated that he needed the help, but he did) and began drying him. Harry struggled weakly again, but Malfoy just smirked at him as the collar did its job and forced him into submission. Harry vaguely remembered Malfoy doing this before, when he was ill; remembered revelling in the gentle touches and the feeling of being loved. The sweet memories were being destroyed now by Malfoy's callous treatment of him.

Finally, the torment ended and Harry was fully dry. Malfoy left him some clothes to change into, apparently trusting him to perform this act on his own as Malfoy saw to his own dress. Harry nearly fainted with the pleasure of putting trousers on again, even if he did have to put one of the hated tunics on over the top. He turned to find Malfoy fully dressed in traditional Wizard day-wear, with a nicely designed robe and waistcoat. Harry felt ashamedly underdressed and classless, but pushed the feeling aside angrily; he hated how easily Malfoy had always managed to make him feel that way.

"The Medi-Wizard who has been caring for you has agreed to make a special dispensation for the day, and come to examine you. Hopefully you're back to full health by now; you gave us both a bit of trouble over the last few days!"

"If my presence is so difficult for you, maybe you should have just sent me back to the Order." Harry replied sweetly. Malfoy's eyes darkened angrily, and Harry was pushed over the vanity with surprising ease. He cried out as Malfoy's hand cracked painfully across his arse, hitting the same spots repeatedly.

"You're going to learn, Harry mine, and you're going to learn fast that you are _mine_. I don't appreciate your cheek." He snarled. Harry cried out and struggled until, as abruptly as the spanking began, it ended and he was righted, one hand going down to rub at his sore behind. He pulled it sharply to his chest as another smart slap was aimed at it, fighting not to glare at Malfoy. He tried to wipe away his tears as discreetly as possible, refusing to look anywhere near the other man.

Malfoy for his part had rescued the items on the vanity that had been knocked askew, and tugged the chair out. "Sit." He ordered sharply, picking up one of the various combs on the surface. Harry eyed the hard chair dubiously, knowing this was going to be a very painful experience even as he sat. He was surprised to find that, instead of landing on the chair, he sat on a gentle cushioning charm that supported him without putting undue pressure on his tender backside. He didn't mention it, but wondered at the kindness, and relaxed into Malfoy's hands as he began combing through Harry's hair. It was unexpectedly easy to comb, Harry assumed by the odd look of smug pride on Malfoy's pale face that he had something to do with it.

Draco continued brushing through Harry's hair easily, happy with the results of his special shampoo; and happier with the results of his punishment as Harry meekly allowed him to do as he pleased. He suspected the cushioning charm had been the key, and reminded himself that the little kindnesses after a punishment were the way to continue. It was with regret that he finished combing Harry's hair as Yuna announced the Medi-Wizard's arrival. He directed Harry wordlessly to the bed and seated himself in his chair, watching the other Wizard closely as he examined Harry.

Harry laid back on the bed uncomfortably as the Medi-Wizard began waving his Wand over him, muttering half-familiar charms as he examined Harry's body. He twisted and turned as directed until the Medi-Wizard seemed satisfied by the exam and allowed him to relax. Harry waited to hear the verdict and was shocked and angered when the Wizard went to Malfoy instead, conferring with him in low tones. The man finally nodded and left, leaving Harry with a smug, happy looking Malfoy. Harry glared at him and exploded angrily when Malfoy merely raised an amused eyebrow.

"Why didn't he tell me what he though? He should have spoken to me about my health!" Malfoy sat on the side of the bed and smoothed down Harry's tunic top absently.

"Have you forgotten your lessons already, Harry? You're mine, now, so it's me he talks to not you. Your soul is yours to keep, and I'll have your heart soon enough," his hand touched Harry's abdomen indicatively, "but your body, that's all mine." Harry scowled fiercely, but the painful throb in his backside quelled his tongue temporarily. Malfoy just smirked again, and stood up. "Time for presents, I think." He announced.

Malfoy led Harry into the sitting room, where a tree had been set up and decorated beside a roaring fire. There were several parcels under the tree, and two steaming mugs on the table. They settled down close to the warm fire and Harry took a sip from his mug; moaning in pleasure at the frothy chocolate. Malfoy smiled happily and presented a small card to Harry proudly. Harry frowned at it and turned it over, the words "Allen's Optical Specialist" making little sense to him. There was an appointment time on the reverse, dated for the following day. "What's this?"

"It's fairly obvious, Harry. An appointment with an optical specialist. There's new cutting-edge magical procedures that can aid in eyesight, and that's one of the best companies in England. Provided nothing comes up in the initial appointment tomorrow, they're going to use magical surgery to reconstruct your eyes. It's so you'll no longer need to wear glasses." Harry blinked, his mouth open in a soft "oh" as he looked up at Malfoy.

"I... Thank you, Malfoy..." He mumbled, flushing to the tips of his ears and looking back down at the card again.

"You're welcome, Harry. I also got you something else as well; I thought you might appreciate this." He opened the door to a cupboard and waved his Wand. A battered but very familiar trunk levitated out, followed by something even more precious.

"Hedwig!" Harry cried, holding his arm out for his precious familiar to land on. Hedwig did so with a happy screech, and began pecking soft kisses on his fingers and he stroked her lovingly. "How?"

"As you are of course aware, Severus plays quite the fine double agent. However, he made a miscalculation with me and I caught him trying to rescue you. I can assure you this is now impossible – should you try to leave or be taken off the Malfoy grounds without me, the collar will activate and you will suffer pain rivalling the Cruciatus until you fall into a coma from which you will likely never wake. Prolonged absence from the grounds will kill you. However, I have also added a Portkey to the collar, which will return you to safety should you leave. Either you activate the little button here, or it should activate when you fall unconscious.

Once Severus was caught, we began trading letters. I have assured him I will not reveal his true nature to Voldemort, and he has assured me that should it become necessary, I will always have the Order's protection. I doubt we believe each other, but it makes us feel better and I am, nevertheless, speaking the truth. He provided the trunk and Owl. I have taken the liberty of removing the robes and storing them in the locked part of your wardrobe, but everything else in there is yours to enjoy."

Malfoy then indicated the parcels under the tree. "Several of these are for you, your friends and family placed them in your trunk, but I thought they looked better under the tree." The Trunk lay forgotten in the corner, and Malfoy picked up a red-wrapped parcel. He checked the label and smiled. "From Mum Weasley." He handed it to Harry and picked up a parcel for himself, unwrapping a book. He read the title and sneered, before banishing it from the room. "Care and Maintenance of Pets and Slaves, my Uncle does have a twisted sense of humour." He growled. Harry frowned, but said nothing as he stroked the Weasley jumper softly. He sighed sadly, wondering if he'd ever have a chance to wear it. Malfoy eyed his offering, before smiling.

"I wondered where you'd gotten those. I left the others in the drawer in your vanity. Aren't you going to put it on?" Harry looked up at him with wide eyes, but said nothing as he tugged the warm, familiar jumper on. He hugged himself in it for several moments, relishing the warmth and comfort of the jumper and the woman who made it. He jumped a little as he felt arms wrap around him from behind to join in the hug, and Malfoy's body tuck against his as he held him carefully. "She does a good job. Not something I'd have been caught wearing in public, but for a setting like this it is rather nice." The body murmured into Harry's ear, seeming to enjoy the comfort of the jumper. He pulled away shortly and settled down, eyeing the rest of his packages warily. Harry held the little box of home-made biscuits Mrs Weasley had made him, before shyly offering Malfoy one. He looked at him for long moments before smiling warmly and taking a biscuit from the box.

Harry reached out and took two packages, both wrapped in blue paper. He hesitated with surprise as he read the labels, before handing one to Malfoy. "From Mione." He mumbled, tugging the wrapping off his own. His eyes filled with tears as he read the covers of the books in the packaging; 'What to expect when you're expecting', 'The Hermaphrodite Potion for dummies', and 'The little book of babies.' The first page of the top book yielded a surprise in the form of Hermione's delicate penmanship.

"_Harry, _

_While I'm so sorry we couldn't rescue you, I can only look at the baby I'm sure you'll soon be carrying with joy. I know we're young, but family has always meant the world to you, and I can't think of anyone who deserves it more than you. Don't give up hope, Harry, because we haven't. _

_Love Hermione, best friend and soon to be Godmother."_

Harry put the books carefully to the side and took a mouthful of the hot chocolate, fighting back tears. One hand brushed over his abdomen cautiously, Hermione's words forcing him to realise for the first time what this really meant for him. A family of his own. He couldn't help the tiny smile on his lips, even as his heart strengthened and his resolve firmed. Some way, some how, Harry would make sure things went right, for himself and anyone else that came along.

"Your Granger is either suicidal or extremely clever."

"Clever." Harry replied absently. "What did she give you?"

"'The new father's guide to babies' and 'The care and feeding of pregnant mates', male edition. She also wrote a note telling me I'd better look after you, and our children, and see the light soon or she was coming after me with a shovel." Harry laughed; a sharp, painful sound that tapered off into a sob. Draco wrapped an arm around him and banished all the books to Harry's bookshelf, cradling the sobbing man gently. Eventually, Harry's sobs trailed off and he pulled away from Draco. Draco let him go and reached for more packages. He raised a shocked eyebrow when he read the next names, and handed Harry his package. "Yours is from Severus, mine's is from... Weasley."

"Weasley? As in RON Weasley?" Harry gasped, looking over Draco's shoulder. Sure enough, the label was for Malfoy from Ron. Harry watched suspiciously as Malfoy opened the package. The scowl on his face when he pulled out the stuffed white ferret inside was worth it all, and Harry couldn't help the giggles. Draco glared at him, which only made Harry giggle harder. In frustration, he swatted him in the side with the stuffed teddy, managing to catch him between the jumper and the trousers in a sensitive area. Harry gasped and giggled again, prompting Draco to leap on him and use the fur of the ferret to tickle him further, until Harry was crying with laughter under him and begging.

"No, stop, please! Please... Draco stop!" Harry cried, giggling all the while. Finally Draco did stop, resting on Harry lightly, a ferret toy poking up between them. Harry looked at him with bright eyes and a smile on his lips, before stroking the toy's fur. "He's cute. Looks like you too." Draco scowled again, which set Harry's giggles off, and sat up. There was a label on the ferret too. He read it out to Harry.

"For baby Malfoy." Harry stopped giggling and sobered quickly, sitting up and righting his jumper. "Weasley gave me a stuffed ferret to give to our child. What does that mean?"

"I dunno. He probably saw it and thought it would annoy you." Malfoy glared at him, but was gentle as he put the teddy on the floor. He picked up the other item in the package, glaring harder at Harry.

"He gave me a Quidditch book."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah... The Chudley Cannons." He growled. Harry's eyes widened.

"Really? They're his favourite!"

"How can they be anyone's favourite? They never win!" Malfoy protested. Harry glared at him.

"They don't have to win to inspire loyalty!"

"He probably only likes them because they match his hair!" Malfoy retorted hotly. Harry glared angrily at him.

"Only you, you pretentious, self righteous prat could insult Ron when he's trying to reach out to you even though you're planning on raping his best mate! I can't believe you sometimes!" Harry cried angrily. "And I can't believe I've sat here with you, and opened presents with you like we're FRIENDS, and, and I let you hold me and I cried! I hate you!" He yelled, abandoning the rest of his presents and running to his room. He slammed the door shut but couldn't lock it, so slumped down against it; humiliation and anger overwhelming him.

Draco sat in the Sitting room, reeling in shock from what had happened. He glared down at the book, thinking that it was typical of Weasley getting between them even when he wasn't there. He couldn't blame him really; it had been his own fault. He sighed and began picking up the discarded wrappings, putting the book on Harry's shelf beside the other two. He had a feeling he'd be spending a lot of time in here over the next few weeks, not wanting to leave Harry alone for even a moment if he didn't have to until he was forced to return to Hogwarts.

He picked up the stuffed toy and, after a moment's hesitation, settled it on the corner of Harry's desk to put in the nursery. He picked up the rest of the biscuits and put them beside the hot chocolates on the table. Satisfied that Harry had been left for long enough to calm down, he knocked on the door.

"Harry? Harry, let me in."

"Go away!" Harry shouted back. Draco winced at the tears in him voice.

"No. Harry... I'm sorry, alright. I spoke without thinking, I know he's your best friend and I shouldn't have insulted him like that." Draco replied, thinking privately that he was going to have to wash his mouth out. And where did Harry get off, making him apologise like they were lovers or something? Harry was his slave! He was only there to have his children! "Harry, if you don't open that door right now, I'm going have Tidus go in there and forcefully remove you from behind it. If I have to do that you _will_ regret it." Draco snarled, already imagining Harry crying out under his hand again. The cheek of the stupid brat!

The door opening interrupted his building ire, and Harry stepped out slowly, head bowed and eyes red. Draco's heart melted and he reached out to Harry, trying to hug him. Harry flinched away and walked past him, reclaiming his seat on the floor.

"We're not friends, and we're certainly not lovers. I let myself get distracted and forget for a while, but it won't happen again. I can't let it happen again and then have you... have you... You have your orders, Draco, and I don't think they include making nice with the prisoner before you rape him." Draco flinched at the ugly words, but ignored them for now and sat across from Harry. He watched wordlessly as Harry finally opened the present Severus had sent him, surprised to find several potions and ingredients vials as well as a book, and a letter.

"_Potter,_

_While pregnant, a Wizard will need a number of restorative potions to keep his health up under the strain. I have checked the contents of your potions sets, and have added several more ingredients here that you will need, as well as the recipes for a good draught, and a safe pain-reliever. I have included samples of both, each vial contains one draught," _Harry counted three vials of each potion,_ "I have also included an updated edition of a book that I wrote several years ago, detailing good potions for dealing with all sorts of childhood ailments, and basic ingredients for these. In your last years under my tutelage you have proved that you are not as much of an imbecile as I'd been lead to believe where potions are involved, and I can only hope that knowing you would be endangering your child's life by making a mistake will be all the incentive you need to get these right._

_My condolences and congratulations,_

_S. Snape."_

Harry wordlessly handed Draco the letter and moved the rest of the things over closer to his trunk, to put it with the rest of his potions equipment later. Draco laughed softly at the letter behind him, before banishing it to float gently down on Harry's desk. Harry hated him in that moment for his casual use of the Wand. No doubt Harry's own Wand, which had been lost in the initial fight, would never be seen again.

Harry and Draco had identical looking gifts under the tree, and when Harry opened his he found the Weasley twins' typical gift; a collection of some of their newer merchandise. Malfoy had a similar gift from them also, which made him chuckle. Harry just looked at his sadly; no doubt the twins meant well, but half of these needed a Wand to activate, and none of it was useable – he wasn't in an position to use this stuff on Malfoy, he didn't want to annoy the Medi-Wizard and it was not in his nature to attack the House Elves. He put his box beside Snape's potions, using the moment away from Malfoy as an opportunity to wipe away his tears. They were coming all too easily today and, despite the Hermione-like voice telling him it was highly sexist, he couldn't help blame the new parts of him.

Harry opened his next gift, from Sirius and Remus, as Draco opened a gift from "Aunt Bella". It took Harry several long minutes to realise who she was, and the paper suffered as a result. The gift inside wasn't overly large, just a small book and a golden rattle. When he turned the rattle over, however, he found the words "Harry, all our love, Mum and Dad." This time there was no stopping the tears that flooded down his cheeks as he looked at the little gift in his hands. This time when Draco reached out to him, Harry didn't stop him despite all his harsh words. He just wanted someone to love him, was that too much to ask?

The rattle was banished tenderly to the desk beside the teddy, and Draco opened the book. The inside held a page inscribed "baby book", with space for the baby's name and date of birth. The next page was a waving photo of all of Harry's family and friends, with semi-transparent labels only noticeable when you focused on one face. Names like "Granma Molly", "Uncle Ron" and "Great-Godfather Sirius" caught his eyes, and he couldn't help a smile. Harry had noticed what he was looking at, and was smiling tenderly as well.

It was Harry who once again broke contact, taking his last gift as he handed one to Draco. Draco had been almost expecting this, but at the same time the soft parcel from "Mum Weasley" still shocked him as he unwrapped it. The knitted object he pulled out was a warm blue scarf, not a jumper, but it had a little silver "D" stitched onto one end and a nice silver dragon on the other end. The accompanying note explained that she hadn't had the time for a jumper, but she'd done him a nice batch of fudge anyway, and that more than made up for the non-existent slight in Draco's eyes. Harry accepted a piece quietly, studying the note-book Dumbledore had given him. Harry didn't show him the note that came with it, and Draco decided not to pry. He did raise an eyebrow at the very loud socks that accompanied the gift, but said nothing. Harry tugged them on and grinned at Draco, but the grin dropped to a horrified shock as he spied the pile of objects beside him. Draco winced as he looked at them.

"My Aunt's idea of a gift. She's... Not all there, and has thankfully never reproduced and never likely will." He pushed the large bull-whip and horrific spiked plug further away, vowing to find some way to dispose of it later. Harry shuddered and eyed the other two presents under the tree warily. Draco opened Severus' gift next, anticipating and highly grateful for the potions ingredients and books within. They were similar to Harry's but both more advanced and more wide-ranged than his. Some of the ingredients and one of the books was for his NEWT classes instead, and he took care to separate these.

Finally he opened the last gift, from his father. It was, unsurprisingly, a book. Even though the man was in Azkaban and Draco had not spoken to him in over six months, he still managed to find a book that was pertinent, insulting and prejudiced. Harry scowled at the title 'Rearing and breeding of good pureblood heirs.' Draco just snorted and put it with Bella's things.

"Obviously no one bothered to tell him the baby is going to be a half-blood." Malfoy remarked mildly. Harry couldn't help but noticing the difference between them both – although his family had little money, their gifts had been brilliant and well-thought out. Malfoy's family had got him unwanted and useless sex-aids, or insulting and unwanted books. He wondered momentarily if this could explain some things about Malfoy, but pushed the thought aside.

Malfoy smiled at Harry, but there was something wary in that smile. "Looks like I just have one gift left then, Harry." He stood and held a hand out for Harry, helping him stand as well. Harry was wary now, Malfoy's words and strange looks causing a bad feeling to rise in the pit of his stomach. He followed silently as Malfoy led him down the corridor to another door in their hallway and opened it. He entered to find a room out of his nightmares.

At first glance, it was a nice room. It had been done in passionate reds, and had a small seating area with a table. There was a bottle of champagne and a punnet of strawberries on the table, the steam wisping from them indicating cooling charms on both. If this had been the only part of the room, Harry was sure he would have liked it, but it wasn't to be. Further into the room was a large bed, a four-postered monstrosity with plenty of hooks and holes. It had no blankets but did have nice crisp white sheets, with dark pink and red pillows scattered over it. Malfoy rolled his eyes at the pretentiousness of the room. "The House Elves decorated," he explained quietly. "They got their style from Mother."

Harry sat quietly in the seat Malfoy indicated and accepted the glass of champagne numbly. When Malfoy dipped a strawberry in the champagne and offered it to him, he took a small bite from it thoughtlessly. Malfoy gave an oddly happy smirk and finished the rest of the strawberry himself, before lifting his champagne flute.

"A toast, Harry. To our child, who will be conceived on that bed; may he have his daddy's eyes; may he be beautiful and intelligent; and may he have plenty of siblings." Malfoy raised his glass and chimed it gently off Harry's before swallowing a small mouthful. Harry hastily took several mouthfuls of the sparkling wine, the bitter alcohol going swiftly to his still-sensitive head. He felt a welcome numbness wrap him, and drifted in it as Malfoy fed him strawberries. He enjoyed the soft fruits, and couldn't help the small erotic charge that built as they were brushed carefully over his tender, newly-healed lips, or as the slippery fruit slid down his throat. Regrettably the strawberries and champagne were quickly gone, and Harry's time was up. He came back to his senses sharply when Malfoy stood and led him to the bed. He struggled, trying harder as his clothes, clothes he had so enjoyed receiving, were swiftly stripped from his body. He found sobs catching in his throat again as he was helpless to fight Malfoy's nimble hands, and was soon pushed naked onto the bed. He continued struggling until Malfoy lay the first warm, oil-coated hands on his back and began, to Harry's surprise, to massage him. Harry slowly relaxed into the touches, and by the time Malfoy was massaging the globes of his arse-cheeks, he was too relaxed to let the connotations occur to him.

He was so relaxed that the first lotion-covered finger pushed easily into him. He cried out and tried to pull away, but the invader was in too deep and he couldn't expel it however hard he tried. He scrambled harder to try and escape as another finger pushed inside him. "Stop, no!" He cried, dreading what was coming next and hating the invasion on his body. "Why are you doing this?" He begged plaintively. Malfoy withdrew his fingers gently, and Harry collapsed weakly to the bed. He was worn out from his struggles already; due to the alcohol muddying his senses, as well as his recent illness; and he couldn't keep the stamina to fight much longer.

He sobbed weakly, unable to fight as silky yet strong ties wrapped around both his wrists. They wove their way independently around one of the hooks in the bed and tightened until Harry was unable to tug away. He tried anyway, wearing himself out further trying to wrench his arms free, but gave up when he felt something around his ankles. At first he assumed it was more ties, but as his legs were spread and forced to stay open he realised it was something else, holding his ankles apart and exposing him cruelly. Malfoy climbed over him, obviously having used the break to strip himself, and kissed the back of his neck.

"Ask me to fuck you." He whispered. "Beg me to ram my cock in you and get you pregnant." He rumbled, sounding filth and seductive. The combination terrified and angered Harry, and he hissed. "Is that a no?" Malfoy asked, and Harry could just imagine the raised eyebrow. He shook his head, afraid that if he actually spoke he would do as Malfoy asked just to stop the wondering. Malfoy murmured "shame" softly, before pulling back.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief that was choked off by a scream of shock and pain as something was pressed to his anus and rammed into him. He arched and tried once more unsuccessfully to pull away as Malfoy began fucking him with the thing inside him. He kept crying out and pulling until suddenly his cry wasn't quite as pained, and the feelings that speared through him felt good. He stuttered and stilled in shock, breath hitching in his chest. Malfoy wiggled the dildo for a moment, and then did something with magic. The dildo began thrusting slowly and smoothly, even though Malfoy had left the bed. Harry wiggled and squirmed under the torment, until eventually he began to relax into the movement. The next thrust was a rough push against whatever it was inside him that made that pleasurable feeling, followed by another short jab and another. Harry screamed.

Eventually he'd gotten used to this one, because the dildo switched to a heavy buzz next. Draco waited until it started thrusting in the same manner as the first assault again before climbing up beside Harry. "This is going to continue, never ceasing, always changing. It won't let you get used to it; it won't _stop_, until you say it. Just a few words; "fuck me Draco", that's all I need to hear, and I'll make it stop." Draco coaxed softly, rubbing one finger over Harry's lips until he licked it automatically. Harry blushed as the finger was then applied to his stiffened nipple.

"M... Draco... Fuck... _Yourself._" Harry hissed, before his voice became the louder near-screaming moans that accompanied the rougher thrusts. Draco shook his head and twisted the nipple viciously.

"Think about it, Harry. You're going to get pregnant, either way. Wouldn't you prefer to look at your baby, and to not be thinking that it was conceived in rape? Wouldn't it be better for the baby?" Harry closed his eyes in pain and anger, but bowed his head in defeat.

"Please." He whispered softly. When this obviously wasn't enough, he gritted his teeth and growled. "Please, Draco... Please get me pregnant." He couldn't bring himself to actually ask the other man to fuck him, but this was a compromise he could do. Malfoy seemed to accept it, because the thrice-damned dildo was slid out. Malfoy stroked his gaping hole carefully, still prompting a hiss of pain. Harry felt him move for a moment, then another, much slimmer object was pushed into him. Harry felt the spreading tingles that accompanied a healing potion, then the release of his ankles. He was turned over, the hook in the bed rotating to prevent damage to his wrists, and there was Malfoy; settled between his legs like he belonged there.

Malfoy leaned over him and looked down, his hands fumbling with his hard erection to push it into place. For a moment Harry saw, not Draco Malfoy the head of his house, or the rapist, or the tormentor. Instead he saw a seventeen year old boy, fallible, insecure as every other teenager; fumbling at sexual experiences he might not be that experienced with. It allowed him to relax, feeling a deep kinship with the other boy. That lasted until, with a triumphant push, Malfoy speared into his body in a rush of pain and tearing that had Harry gasping, paralysed with pain. The pain passed soon enough, and Malfoy had cared enough to wait until Harry relaxed around him before he began thrusting. It still hurt, tears coming to and running down Harry's cheeks as Malfoy continued to thrust. The pain wore off after a while, leaving only twinges as Malfoy pushed, and soon a heavy feeling of pleasure descended. Harry tensed and wiggled, making Malfoy groan. He cursed and thrust harder, catching Harry off-guard and making him gasp. Harry arched at the surprise pleasure, especially as it rubbed the plug in his tender anus. Malfoy reached down slightly clumsily and began stroking him. The combination grew too much and before he knew it, Harry was coming in sticky waves and a strange sucking clench that made Malfoy groan and come as well.

Draco ground into Harry a few more times before he pulled out, collapsing to the side. After a few moments he groped for his wand and waved it to release Harry's hands. Harry instantly curled in on himself, tucking into a tight, sobbing ball. Draco reached out a hand to his back, but Harry flinched away. He sighed and stood up, tugging a robe off the hook on the wall and wrapping it around himself. He summoned a blanket from the small cabinet in the room and draped it over the boy crying desperately on the bed, before leaving. He'd have Tidus come and help Harry in a while.


	10. 10: Chapter 7, Aftermath

Harry remained huddled and sobbing on the bed for a long time. At first the tears and tantrum were directed at Malfoy, at his rapist and the cruelly gentle acts performed on his body; but soon enough the rage turned inwards. Harry's omnipresent self-hatred rose again like a spectre to haunt him. He had failed so often in the past, and now once again failure loomed. Not only had he been unsuccessful in protecting himself against Malfoy, he'd given in; he'd _begged_ Malfoy to violate him.

Into this dark mood came Tidus, following Malfoy's direction to lead Harry to the bathing chambers and prepare him for lunch. Harry wanted to throw up at the very idea of eating lunch across from that wicked man, to have to face the man who had so recently been _inside_ his body, who had barely two hours before forced the worst acts of violence on him. Only the ever present threat of the Dungeons gave Harry the strength to bathe; the act a cleansing one as he washed Malfoy's semen from his body the best he could, offering feeble prayers that it didn't take root, viciously scrubbing every last inch of flesh he could reach. The fear carried him through dressing once again in the ridiculous and humiliating tunic.

He balked, however, at the doorway to the Dining Room. Malfoy was already seated at the intimately small table, napkin spread daintily over his lap to protect his pristine robes. He had a glass of water forming condensation at his hand, from which he took a lingering sip as he waited. He was the picture of pure-bred perfection and formality; the juxtaposition between this image of Malfoy and the feral one in his mind of Malfoy thrusting and tearing into his vulnerable flesh made him dizzy. The long, slender fingers rimming the edge of the glass so delicately made his anal muscles contract painfully around the plug still imbedded firmly inside him, made him whimper. He didn't want to sit across from this man when all he could see now was the demon that raped him!

The whimper caught Malfoy's attention and he looked up at Harry with dark eyes. They were caught in a moment as the looked at each other, neither willing to look away. The almost electrical charge that the eye contact held was broken in a fragile instant as Tidus stepped timidly forward and pulled Harry's chair out, a soft cushion appearing on it in a glimmer of magic. Harry flushed fiercely, but under the combined pressure of the Elf's huge eyes and Malfoy's knowing smirk, forced himself to sit. He had to keep reminding himself that the worst had already _happened_, and there was no stopping it; and the Dungeons were not a good alternative.

That tactic unfortunately only seemed to work if you were secure and safe in the knowledge that it wouldn't happen again. Now the worst had happened, yes, but Harry was faced with the soul-destroying reality of it happening again, over and over and over. He was not foolish enough to believe that pregnancy would save him any more than unwillingness had.

Moving slowly so he didn't disturb either his stomach; tender from both the rape and the over-indulgence of alcohol before hand; and the areas between his legs that were currently heated with pain, he began eating. The lunch was a huge spread, worthy of a Christmas feast at Hogwarts; a juicy roasted bird, crispy potatoes, sweet vegetables and a mouth-watering array of other delicious nibbles. Had it been under other circumstances Harry would have loved this meal; but today the food was like ash in his mouth and a heavy rock in his stomach. The reminder of beloved feasts at Hogwarts, the reminder of happy Christmases and feeling like he was home and safe and loved made him want to cry again. It wasn't even three in the afternoon, and already he'd been through enough emotional highs and lows to wreck anyone, and suffered one of the worst days of his life. He couldn't imagine what Malfoy had planned for the rest of the afternoon that could possibly compete with this morning's activities.

Unfortunately for Harry, as the last of the dishes were cleared from the table, he was to find out. Malfoy had taken the opportunity towards the end of the meal of slipping his underwear off, leaving him naked beneath his robes. The sight of Harry, even as uncomfortable as he was, made his blood boil and rush southwards. In fact, the very reason for Harry's discomfort, the knowledge that the little plug was still trapped inside him; it all made his blood rush even faster.

As soon as the dishes had been cleared, Harry scrambled as swiftly as his ill-treated body would allow, and turned to leave the room. He realised it was rude of him to leave this way, and that it was unlikely to succeed, but his shoulders still slumped in defeat when Malfoy called him back.

"Harry! Return to your seat, immediately." He rapped out, his tone low and cold. It was the same tone he'd used when he'd thrown Harry in the Dungeon, just the sound of that voice made him cringe. He sat obediently, but glared at Malfoy none-the-less. "When you leave my table, you ask politely for permission and leave _only_ when it is granted. Surely even someone with as plebeian an upbringing as yours knows that." He growled, enjoying Harry's flinch as he insulted his background. He debated saying more, but thought it was safer, especially for what was coming next, to leave the insults for now. "Your table manners could use some work as well."

Malfoy walked around until he was standing in front of Harry in the small space between his body and the table. "You need to learn to eat properly." He murmured softly, this time allowing his tone to soften and deepen as he parted his robes. He enjoyed the way Harry blanched at the exposed skin and sealed his lips tightly shut, but the other boy's repressive refusal made him angry and frustrated. He just wanted a quick blow job before they moved on to the rest of the day's activities, but Harry was obviously going to make him work for every small victory and pleasure. He hoped Harry broke of this habit soon, but at the same time he liked seeing the flash of temper and the untameable spirit in the boy – it would be shameful to lose that.

"I don't want to hurt you, Harry, but I will break you of this habit of refusing me quickly. Now, I don't want you getting pregnant in this frame of mind, so in about a minute I'm going to pull that plug out of your arse and fuck you; and the only kind of lubrication you're getting is your own spit. So if I were you I'd get to sucking me, fast." He hissed the last words with a vicious smirk as Harry's eyes grew wide in panic and he immediately latched his lips to the hard cock in front of him. He was obviously inexperienced and panicking, and more than once Malfoy flinched away from a potentially nasty meeting with Harry's teeth; but his tenacity and willingness, under the right motivation, was warming.

When he finally tugged on Harry hair, far more than a minute later, he'd all but forgiven the boy's initial reticence and was already fumbling the lubricant out of his pocket. He sighed in angry disappointment, however, when the boy fought him off and continued desperately sucking. He was terrified, and either trying to bring him off or get him even more wet, but it was still an act of defiance. With an angry tug he pulled Harry off him and pushed him down on the table.

"That was a mistake, Harry. You see, I was planning on being nice to you. Have the lubricant right here, see; you were such a good boy that I was going to forget about you being naughty. But you've gone and spoiled that, because you were trying to disobey me." As he spoke, he pulled the plug from Harry's body and moved himself into place. Despite his angry words, he smeared a small amount of lubricant onto his cock anyway. Harry probably wouldn't even notice that it had been added, but it would help prevent serious damage to the other boy. He lined himself up and pushed in viciously, a part of him relishing Harry's cries of pain. He'd rather they were pleasure, but he'd take what he could.

Harry was begging again; he was aware of that but he couldn't seem to stop. It wasn't until his pain began to die away slightly that he really focussed on the pleas slipping past his lips. He _had_ to make Malfoy stop, he had to make this man realise what he was doing to him! Malfoy was the one responsible for Harry's care now; he couldn't be left thinking this was how to control his... Slave...

"M... Master..." He breathed, pain making his words catch even more than the internal agony of actually using this word. "Master, please stop hurting me." He pleaded softly. He was rewarded almost instantly by Malfoy stopping; he pulled out of him gently and turned him around, looking into tear-bright, lowered eyes.

"Oh, Harry." He sighed with something almost reverent in his tone. He moved away and called an Elf to him, requesting unknown items from it before returning to Harry. He hugged the boy gently, careful not to pull too much on hurt skin as he held Harry close to him for long moments before the boy relaxed. He curled a little into Malfoy, until the Elf returned with the requested items and he found himself lying on the table once again. He sighed in exacerbation, and a little fear; but he was rewarded for his words and good behaviour with gentle touches to his torn entrance.

Malfoy, behind him, was fumbling with a slippery phallic-shaped ice cube. The long piece of ice was slid carefully and gently into Harry, the freezing ice instantly helping to numb the pain. Before it could settle too long in once place and cause pain, a charm was cast on it to make it slide in and out of Harry in smooth, gentle thrusts that spread the welcome numbing effects without any of the pain. Once the icicle was in place, he turned Harry around and began sucking him gently, intending to bring him to orgasm this time as well.

Despite the fading pain in his anus and the newer area between his legs, Harry hardened nicely in his mouth. It still took some encouragement before he began approaching orgasm, but soon he was coming in Malfoy's mouth, thrusting wildly up into him and moaning loudly.

After he'd finished sucking the last of Harry's come from him, Malfoy stood and pressed his lips to Harry's, sharing the new flavour, his fingers sliding behind his flaccid flesh to the little opening beneath, and then further back, sliding a finger inside gently. Harry moaned weakly into the kiss, a little in pain and a lot of anxiety, but Malfoy's fingers were gently exploratory as they felt the progress of the freezing icicle inside him. Harry realised Malfoy was contemplating fucking him again, still determined not to impregnate him this time. Hate and panic welled up in him, but at this point it hurt too much to even contemplate Malfoy fucking him there again. The new parts between his legs were sore, but far less pained that his arse right now.

"I want you to..." He swallowed painfully and wrapped his leg around Malfoy's waist and legs "Make me pregnant..." He murmured, still unable to ask Malfoy to actually fuck him there. Malfoy gave him a genuine, pleased smile, pulling his fingers away from Harry with what remained of the icicle, which was quickly discarded. One of his hands slid seductively up the outside of the bared thigh around his thigh, while he used his other hands to help impose his hips between Harry's spread legs and push up into him. Harry gasped in a surge of renewed pain, but Malfoy was gentle enough to make it, if not pleasant, then not uncomfortable for Harry as he continued working inside him. Considering everything that had happened between them, Malfoy managed to last a decent length of time, much to Harry's displeasure, before finally groaning in pleasure and pulsing his come into Harry. He sighed in contentment and leaned against him for a minute before pulling out, putting Harry's tunic to rights, and leaving the kitchen. He thoughtfully kept the plug away from Harry's sore anus.

"Right then. I'll just... Go to my room shall I?" Harry grumbled to the empty room, feeling more than a little out of sorts and upset at Malfoy's abrupt dismissal of him. The rapid appearance of Tidus to lead him to the bedroom, this time without a nice cleansing bath, barely soothed his ruffled pride.

Malfoy, meanwhile, had slumped happily on his own bed; completely unable to hold back the grin on his face as he closed his eyes and remembered Harry's performance again. "Master, hmm?" He murmured happily, lost to his fantasies. Their afternoon plans could wait for a while.


	11. 11: Chapter 8, Return to Hogwarts

Harry enjoyed waking up before Malfoy in the morning, because for a brief few minutes he could just lie there, with no need to worry about Malfoy, and following his wishes, and falling pregnant with his baby. For a few seconds he could be just Harry, and he could be as miserable as Malfoy refused to let him be during the day.

Today, especially, Harry wanted to wallow in his self-pity. Malfoy was returning to Hogwarts today, and Harry was to be left on his own. Dumbledore had given Malfoy permission to return home when he wanted to and spend time with Harry, but Harry could not pretend that this would be enough. Malfoy's company, as cruel and gentle as it was, kept Harry sane here. Malfoy's attentions, Malfoy's very presence, helped keep the memories and worries at bay, and with Malfoy gone Harry would have precious little to distract him from them.

All too soon, and yet not soon enough, Harry heard the familiar and dreaded sounds behind him of Malfoy waking. He shut his eyes quickly, feigning sleep. Occasionally, Malfoy would know he was awake, or would fuck him anyway, but most of the time Harry could get away with a few minutes before Malfoy would wake him and commence with the first rape of the day. He hated that a part of him would miss this.

This time, it appeared, Malfoy wasn't going to give him a moment's rest, and Harry whimpered into his pillow as he felt a gentle kiss on his shoulder and a dry finger smuggle it's way into him. Harry relaxed a little; unless Malfoy was indulging in one of his tricks, this usually signalled that Malfoy was not going to bother trying to make Harry accept it. From the beginning, Malfoy had openly expressed his adamance that their child would not be conceived in rape, and as dubious as it may be, he did secure consent from Harry every time he used him vaginally. He also expressed, although not in as many words, his preference for using Harry as a man. Harry thought the vagina was probably as disquieting for Malfoy as it was for Harry. As a result, although Malfoy would use Harry several times a day, he only tried to get him pregnant maybe once or twice, and when not fucking him there, he concentrated his sexual efforts on Harry's male attributes and ignored the fake vagina.

Harry relaxed unconsciously as he felt the nearly dry cock pressing at his anus, and gasped in pleasure at the mixed, nearly painful feeling of Malfoy fucking him like this. He relaxed helplessly into it in a way he never had before, and with a whimpered "Please, Draco" escaping his lips, Harry gave up on any plans of maintaining dignity or hatred of this sacred, cruel act.

_Draco_

When Draco woke up that morning, he considered making Harry beg for sex; and trying once more to get him pregnant. It was a brief consideration, as it was an act Draco had taken great delight in forcing Harry into. This day, however, Draco wanted Harry normally, he wanted the responses Harry would give without begin whipped, tortured and teased mercilessly into giving the responses first. Besides, Draco much preferred taking Harry like a man rather than using the strange little hole behind his balls.

He decided that it would be nice for Harry to remember, when he was gone and all Harry had left for most of the day, or sometimes several days in a row, was fierce memories of being fucked, literally and figuratively, by Draco. With this in mind he used only a minimal amount of lubricant, so Harry would have the physical discomfort for most of the day. He'd been prepared for resistance, so sinking easily into Harry's body had been a surprise. Harry's whimpered begging had been even more of a surprise, and Draco had jerked in shock, prompting another gasp from his lover. He curled one hand around the erection Harry had gained and beginning to fuck him with a gentle earnest. Could it be that Harry actually wanted this, he wondered, hope flaring within him. After a few more minutes of leisurely strokes and soft pleas, Draco pulled out and turned him over, cleansing his cock with a quick wave of his wand and pushing into Harry's other opening.

He found himself hoping that Harry would conceive during this round of sex, as he'd been unable to previously. The Medi-Wizard had confirmed the previous day that Harry was still not pregnant and Draco knew that, despite the fact he'd only had two weeks with Harry, Voldemort was impatient that the boy wasn't broken or pregnant. Yet.

Once they had both come; Harry in fluttered, squeezing sucks and warm spurts of come across their chests and Draco, soon after, pushed as deeply in Harry as he could be; Draco lay with him for a precious moment, just holding him and feeling himself inside Harry. It was a tender joy he reserved for only special occasions, like the first day Harry allowed him to give him an enema without struggling, the first time he whipped the boy, or the first time Harry let Draco feed him from his kneeling position by Draco's feet. It was only allowed on brief occasions because Draco always slipped into fantasies that Harry was here because he wanted to be, because the sex they'd had was completely mutual and loving. That he wasn't the rapist Harry constantly decried him as and Harry wasn't his prisoner, his Slave.

When he finally clambered out of bed - leaving Harry for the few minutes he knew he loved - he went for a shower before finishing his final preparations for his return to Hogwarts. He could only hope his Harry would be alright without him here.

_Harry_

Malfoy had finally left, and Harry was alone with his studies for the day. He found, however, that he couldn't concentrate. He kept expecting Malfoy to come in and demand his time, and it was always a painful shock to realise that he wasn't there. Harry's life for the last two weeks had centred on Malfoy and his desires, so for Harry to suddenly not have to jump to Malfoy's ever whim was unusual. Almost unwanted. Harry was alone with his embarrassed memories of the morning, the painful thoughts of his capture, and his worries for his friends and, by far the worst, the shocking and terrifying realisation that he had somehow grown attached to Malfoy.

Harry ate the lunch the House Elves brought, and finally gave in to their urgings to go for a bath when he realised that the reason he'd been holding off from his normal schedule was because he could still feel Malfoy on and _in_ his body. A thing that he would have been scrubbing viciously from his body in the first days.

The small tunic he was wearing was supremely uncomfortable for studying and just distracted him even more, and he considered asking Malfoy if he could wear proper clothing when studying, but he had a feeling Malfoy would probably make him go naked instead. The stupid little straps slipped down his arms constantly, and when sitting down the silky bottom rode up from mid-thigh until it couldn't really be called a bottom at all. He finally got his History of Magic studying done, but he gave up on the rest and went for a lie down, feeling surprisingly despondent.

This despondency lasted until dinnertime, whereby Tidus arrived to escort him to dinner, making him sit in the same intimate little parlour that he and Malfoy ate in. This time he would be eating alone. He remembered the first few days here, when he would be lead to this room on feet heavy with dread and a heart tight with anger. Now his feet were heavy with the lassitude of loneliness, and his heart had tightened in sadness. He hated Malfoy more in this moment than he ever had before.

He escaped from dinner as soon as he could, wondering if anyone would bother to scold him as Malfoy had once done for not eating. He curled up sadly on his bed and was soon deeply asleep.

He woke up to the feeling of something hot, and hard thrusting into his body without a single preparation, and the surprise coupled with the direct hit to his prostate caused him to let loose a loud scream that caused a soft chuckle from behind him.

"I'd always hoped to do this to you, but you're always awake before me and you never seem to sleep until I am. How was your day?" Malfoy asked, thrusting lazily into Harry's body as he made this pretence of polite small talk. Harry hated that he was doing this, but hated that a part of him _liked_ it even more.

"Ungg… It was… Good, without you… To disturb me…" Harry gasped, panting through the combined mix of pleasure and pain that came from being taken like this.

"Don't lie to me Harry; you know how I loathe it. I've been told you were lazing around despondently all day. Tidus even said you reminded him of a kitten that had lost its mother. Did you miss me?" A harder thrust accompanied the question, and Harry blamed it for the tear that sprung to his eye.

"I'd never miss you… Never… Never…" Harry's voice trailed off into a soft whimper, sobbing quietly. "You… I kept expecting you to come in and you never did… I'm not used to being here without you…" Harry whispered, whimpering, trying to wipe his tears away discreetly. Malfoy didn't say anything else, just continued the painfully gentle thrusts until they both came.

There were trousers laid out for him the next day.

Malfoy didn't return for three days, and Harry was pitifully desperate for the weekend to come. Malfoy had reduced his visits with the Medi-Wizard to once a month, and he was the only other Wizard Harry saw. The House Elves just ignored his presence unless they were getting him for something, or getting something for him, and the one time Harry had desperately asked Tidus to keep him company Tidus had stared at him with big, wide eyes and then spent half and hour shamelessly letting him win at exploding snap, crying out loudly whenever the cards exploded and looking like he desperately wanted to be anywhere else. Harry didn't ask again.

When the weekend did finally arrive, Harry surprised himself by sleeping through Malfoy's arrival, only waking up when the other man was balls-deep in his body. He writhed and cried under him like he was being slowly disembowelled, not sodomised, and curled pathetically in his arms afterwards with a gratitude born of desperation. He just wanted to be loved, and to stop this aching loneliness.

Harry curled on the couch in his trousers and shift on Monday, doing his Transfiguration work. Rather, he was _pretending_ to do Transfiguration, mostly he was reliving the weekend. After waking the first morning to the pleasure of being buggered by Malfoy, they'd spent the weekend barely out of bed, and never out of the bedroom. Even their meals had been taken in the room, and their desert had been taken off the other's body. He'd almost believed that they were just lovers, that it wasn't a rape.

The memory was catching up to him now, however, and his thought circled between humiliation and confusion. He shouldn't be enjoying this, shouldn't be giving in willingly to his rape. The pleasure was unavoidable; Malfoy was very good at pleasuring him. He was confused by Malfoy's attentions in that regard; Malfoy's feelings on the subject of consent had been made clear, but even consenting, he didn't need to bring Harry pleasure. He certainly didn't need to be doing things like rimming him, or going down on him.

He rubbed his nose, feeling and ignoring the blush staining his cheeks. Under other circumstances, Malfoy was an unbelievable lover. He was considerate, skilled, and supremely talented at knowing exactly what his lover needed, even when Harry himself didn't know. He sighed, completely flustered and humiliatingly aroused.

Giving up once again on his work, he pushed to his feet and limped to the sideboard. He poured himself a drink from the water-jug sitting there under a cooling charm for him, and brought it to his lips. It never got there, sliding to bump harmlessly to the ground at the voice behind him.

"Hello, Mr Potter."


	12. 12: Chapter 9, The Malfoy Family

Draco Malfoy had just sat down to lunch in the Great Hall, watching with barely-concealed delight as Granger and Weasley eat despondently, pale and sad and tired. Dumbledore and McGonagal, and the other teachers had the same look, dark eyes looking at the empty space at the Gryffindor table where Harry should be sitting. The other Gryffindors left the seat open as a mark of respect to their leader, and there was none of the gay chatter among them of children. Loss had touched their House and left all of them changed.

The Hufflepuffs were going around in terrified packs, looking just as upset as the Gryffindors, and the Ravenclaws spent even more time buried in their books than before, using the dusty tomes to hide red-rimmed, scared eyes. Harry was their saviour and he was gone. Harry was the first casualty of the War from Hogwarts, and few knew what had happened to him. The ones who did looked by far the worst.

Even his fellow Slytherins looked drawn and worried, and more than a few were spending more time with Snape than they should be. Far from the victorious who believed they would win with Potter out of the way, his House were facing for the first time what victory truly meant, and were facing the scorn from the other three Houses who laid the blame for Harry's loss squarely at their door.

It was an open secret now that Draco had Harry, those who didn't know (and there were more of them than there ought to be, some parents had been talking) guessed or assumed. Especially with his little dissapearance this weekend, and his return looking like the cat that has gotten the cream, the milk-cow and the aviary. Even now he was walking a little bow-legged (and wondering with a shiver how _Harry_ must be walking) and giving wicked little smirks unconsciously whenever he thought of Harry. Like now, and more than a few people were shooting him glares. Zabini, who had been coming to sit near him, saw the smirk and casually moved on to sit at the other end of the table.

Draco lowered his head a little to his his self-satisfied smile and began piling food on his plate, missing the delicious fare at the Manor, and the far more delicious company. He was already eagerly anticipating the weekend.

His good mood was broken in a horrified instant by the loud crack of apparation and the terrified cries of a desperate House Elf behind him. He whirled around to find Yuna, sobbing and scared. There was blood on her tea-towel and just by her appearance and inability to prevent the perpatrator of whatever horror had driven her here; he knew it was his father. The blood drained from his face as terror twisted his gut. He grabbed the Elf's shoulders tightly.

"Yuna, calm down this instant! Yuna, what has happened? What has Father done?"

"Master Harry, Master Lucius hurts Master Harry! Master Harry screams for Master Draco!" The Elf cried in her high-pitched fear. She could not have stopped Lucius, and the guilt would be driving her crazy.

"Take me there, right now." He ordered, his Wand in his hand and his heart in his throat.

He arrived to the worst scene he could imagine, a scene from his nightmares. He could see little of Harry but a bloody smear beneath his Father's wasted alabaster back, his hips pistoning in a rapid, vicious motion that was unmistakeable. Harry wasn't screaming, he wasn't capable any more. The blood-stains on the wall and the slumped forms of his House Elves gave mute testament to the fact that this had been going on for far too long already.

His Wand rose against his Father and the words slipped past his lips before he'd even thought of what to do. His Father had spend weeks trying to make him learn, had brought a little Muggle-born Wizard-boy that he'd kept in the Dungeons for Draco to practice on. The Cruciatus had been completely beyond him, although the boy had learned very, very fast that if he faked it, the terrifying blonde man wouldn't know, would smirk nastily then leave the room, give the boy a reprieve. The Imperius had come easily to Draco, however. He knew that while under it the boy would feel no pain, and endeavoured to keep him under it as long as possible. His Father, he knew, believed Draco had used the pliable boy for his pleasures and Draco kept him believing that for as long as it meant he had time with the boy, and his Father accepted that the boy was left immaculately clean.

This particular curse, Draco had never had the chance to learn. His Father had tried for several days, but Draco had always begged off, telling him he'd practiced enough on animals (a lie) and that he was enjoying the boy too much to want to kill him yet (another lie, but for a different reason). Then Father had gone to Azkaban and Draco had healed the boy's body, wiped his mind, and tried to send him home only to find that he'd been an orphan. His Aunt Andromeda had been glad of her new Ward, and had said nothing of the strange marks on his back, or the way that Draco would not look at him.

It came easily to him now, slipping out on the hate that Draco had never managed to feel, before. The words he'd never spoken, even with his Wand safely tucked away, slipped out on a sibilance that should have been impossible. His Father didn't even seem to hear him over the roar of his own blood in his ears and the weak cries that had obviously long replaced Harry's screams. But Harry found another scream as Lucius Malfoy shone green for a shocking moment, then slumped over him lifelessly, crushing him.

Draco took a perverse pleasure in twisting his Father's still stiff member viciously as he pulled it as carefully out of Harry's body as he could, kicking the corpse away and leaving it in its own filth. He stroked Harry's vagina sadly, there was so much blood, and far too much pink come for it to have been the first time. He sent silent prayers to anyone who listened to desperate rapists that Harry wasn't pregnant by his Father and wrapped his robes around him, lifting him as though the boy weighed nothing (which wasn't true any more, he'd put on a bit of weight under Draco's care). He carried him into the bedroom and laid him carefully on the bed, glad to see that Tidus had picked himself up and followed them. Yuna was already getting the Healer, so he summoned Wakka. He gave the limping House Elf his orders and turned away, ignoring both sets of wide eyes as they set about to do his bidding.

Harry was trying to sit up, so he wrapped his arm around his shoulders and helped him. Harry immediately lurched, but a bucket appeared in his arms courtesy of a clever House Elf before he threw up into it. The vomit was tinged with blood, which made Draco panic. He calmed himself by rubbing Harry's back soothingly, but the boy cried out and pulled away. He removed his hand, and looked down at the damp palm with horror. It was red, already stained with the blood soaking through his borrowed robe. He stripped it away and cried softly himself at the sight of Harry's back, ravaged and torn from his Father's whip. The wounds had been further ripped open from being pushed and scraped against unforgiving stone as his Father had laid him against it and fucked him. He found himself hoping for the smallest of mercies that his Father had fucked him the first time before whipping him, but he had a feeling from seeing Harry's struggles first-hand that his father would have had to whip Harry into submission before getting anywhere near his body, since the collar would have strengthened Harry to fight him off instead of weakening him like it did with Draco.

The Medi-Wizard arrived at last, and Draco knew from the look in his eyes that he'd found his Father and the room that he'd had Harry in before he'd come here. Draco backed away and said nothing as the Wizard worked, but was numbly grateful for the compassionate hand that rested on his shoulder briefly before he moved on to Harry. Draco turned away, unable to watch the Wizard heal Harry. He trusted the other man completely, knowing where his loyalties lay. He summoned Yuna and asked her about the House Elve's progress, before pulling on a new robe. He was shaking, and subliminally realised he was in shock. Yuna was pressing a glass into his hand, and it was only after he'd choked on the contents that he realised it was the brandy from his Father's cabinet. He looked down at the half-empty glass, before snarling angrily and throwing it at the wall. He winced in shame when Harry cried at the noise, and stormed out.

He found himself in his Father's room. This should have been his room, when he'd inherited the Manor, but he hadn't been able to bring himself to touch it. He'd taking his Father's belongings from the rest of the Manor and stored them here, but he couldn't remove his Father from this room, or the Manor altogether. He regretted that now, he should have eradicated any sign of his Father's presence when he had the chance.

He set about that now, single mindedly piling all of his Father's things in the middle of the sitting room. The rug dissapeared as he did, shortly followed by the couch. He knew Yuna was here, invisibly removing all of the empty furniture, but the Elf was perceptive enough not to move anything that had actually belonged to his Father. Or perhaps she was old enough to have been here when his Grandfather had died, he thought unkindly.

Last onto the pile were his Father's robes; fine ermine and silk, cashmere and the best wools. He'd so envied his Father these clothes, his finery and his presence. When he'd been a child he'd coveted it jealously, after his Father's imprisonment, or maybe before, he'd wanted to be _better_. Now, the mere thought made him sick. He poured his Father's expensive perfumes and lotions over the lot with childish glee, before touching his wand to the end of one of his Father's numerous degrading letters to him. These, too, had been stored here afterwards, out of sight but unfortunately never out of mind. Draco dropped the letter and watched first the perfume; then the finery light up with a malicious pleasure. As it burned on the bare stone floor, the final piece of furniture in the room, his father's empty armoire, dissapeared. Now it was just Draco and a pile of precious fabrics and beautiful penmanship in a bare room, slowly burning away.

Yuna pulled him from the room as the smoke was beginning to make him cough and the flames were licking at the edges of his own robes. He wasn't certain he could have left the room himself, and was grateful for the Elf. He warded the room carefully, making sure that, while the fire would destroy the room, it would not go anywhere else. The walls and ceiling would hold up to the flames as well. He hurried after her as she rushed to his bedroom, where Harry lay on the bed in a healing sleep now. The Medi-Wizard was finished.

"I've cleaned him up the best that I could. The wounds on his back were severe, and will take a few days to fully heal. I fear that some of them might scar, but I have left a cream with the Elf that should reduce that. As for his vagina, it was incredibly badly damaged, but I've managed to heal that as well. I've inserted a healing plug into him, otherwise I fear parts of it might try to knit back together as it is not a naturally occuring opening, and it contains a potion that will seep out at timed intervals to help him heal. He needs to keep it in at all times over the next three days; then it can be removed. If you want to use him there, you should still give him a few weeks, one at least, two would be better." Draco waved the words away with an angry scowl, memorising them none-the-less.

"Forget that, we should stop trying to pretend I'll have any say; you saw... Just, did my Father... Did that bastard get him pregnant?" Draco asked; desperation and pain seeping into his rough voice. The Medi-Wizard watched him anxiously for a few moments before shaking his head.

"No. No he didn't, because Harry was already pregnant. Thankfully, the baby survived your Father's attack. By the looks of it, Harry's magic – which would normally have protected him – turned inwards. The baby was protected by a magical shield that repelled all attacks on him. The lashes on his lower back were already healing when I got to them. It looks like Lucius kicked him in the stomach and ribs – two were cracked and three broken but they're healed now – there were printed bruises on his stomach but they healed before I got to them and there was no sign of any internal damage. He was vomiting blood from the damage to his ribs and such, but it could have been a lot worse. His kidneys, for example, were covered in bruises, but they healed as well because of Harry's protective shield. You have a very powerful young man there, Draco, if he'd been anyone else your daughter would be dead and he wouldn't be too far behind."

"But they're safe?"

"Perfectly safe, and well on their way to recovery. I already had potions that were safe for pregnant people to use, but he's going to need a lot of safe pain-killers over the next few days, so you should look into that. Now, we need to talk more seriously. I saw Lucius. You realise, Draco, that I will have to report this?"

"I thought you were on the Order's side?"

"I am, but I'm also on His side. I'm the primary Medi-Wizard for a large number of Death Eaters because He reccommends me; I tell him what I need to and then I report to the Order. If He finds out I knew this and didn't tell Him..."

"I need time. And hour, at least. Please, I beg of you."

"I can't give you more than that. I'm sorry, Draco, but this is far bigger than you."

"One hour. I'll leave Father's body here; He can use it for His potions for all I care."

"Where will you go? You can't go back to Him."

"No. No, only Albus Dumbledore will save me now."

"He'll throw you in Azkaban. For all I know, you might just die accidentally before you even get there."

"Severus says that they'll take me in, protect me. And even if they don't, they'll protect Harry and our... daughter. That's what's important now."

Draco turned to Harry on the bed before he noticed the surprised, happy look on the other man's face. He stroked Harry's cheek gently before calling for Yuna and having her bring him some warm water and cloths, and some clothes for Harry. He set about washing the blood and grime from Harry's body as gently as he could, drying him and dressing him in warm clothes as he worked.

He didn't even notice when Yuna showed the Medi-Wizard out, or as wardrobe, rug, side-table and wall-hangings dissapeared. He just focussed on Harry until the room was empty of everything except the two of them and the bed, and the House Elves appeared to tell him that everything was packed up. Draco nodded and helped Harry to his feet, leading him to the Floo and leaving the stone skeleton of his Manor behind. The Elves were already gone to the safe-house, the Elves in the London apartment, French villa and Italian holiday house would meet them there. Voldemort could come after the Malfoys with everything he had; all he would find would be a dead body, a pile of burnt offerings and the desolate skeletons of his inheritance. The stones could be rebuilt if necessary; he had everything that mattered in his arms where he belonged.


	13. 13: Chapter 10, To Have and To Hold

Draco Flooed into the offices of his lawyers with Harry tucked safely in his arms. The boy was far too pale and shaking under his hands, but he was awake and upright. He'd woken up as Draco had taken him off Manor grounds for the first time in weeks, and looked up at his face with wide, scared eyes. He'd then promptly broken down in tears, sobbing his thanks to anyone that would listen as he clung tightly to Draco.

"I knew you'd come. I knew you'd save me." He'd whispered quietly, not thinking any more of the man who had hurt, humiliated and raped him over the last weeks; but instead of the man who had touched him with a tenderness that was almost painful, the man who had sat quietly and read to him, the Angel who had rescued him from a dark cell and kept him safe from his nightmares. The man who had painstakingly cleaned and fed and supported him through his illness afterwards. He'd fallen back asleep fairly quickly in Draco's arms, seeming not to care about the fact that they were standing in a barren hallway in an unfamiliar house, far away from anything he knew. To his ill mind, he knew only what he needed to know; that Draco Malfoy had him, and Draco Malfoy would take care of him.

Draco had wanted desperately to put Harry to bed in the safe house and leave him there. He'd wanted to surround Harry in the most powerful wards he could and let him sleep and heal in peace, but Harry needed to be here for this meeting, ill or not. Draco had only a few more hours to find Dumbledore and beg his protection before he came under serious danger of being hunted down by the two most powerful and terrifying forces in Wizarding Britain. But first, there were certain things that needed to be done, for the sake of Harry and their daughter, and it needed to be done now.

"Master Malfoy, what a pleasant surprise! And who is your friend?" A silky, obsequious voice announced behind him. Draco bared his teeth, but was smiling charmingly when he turned around.

"Mister Drippe, that's _Lord_ Malfoy now, thank you. This is my Consort. I need your best work done, I need it done within the next two hours and I need it to be forgotten afterwards. If you don't feel up to that, I will be very happy to take my custom elsewhere." The sleek, salesman smile on the Wizard's face dropped, and he stepped out from the doorway he had been filling quickly. He took Draco's hands in his, careful of the Wizard in his arms, and performed a bowed gesture of apology and promise. Draco would get whatever he needed.

"Come this way, Lord Malfoy, I'm certain my clients won't mind coming back some other time." Drippe lead him through to the well-appointed office he kept, and sat only after Draco had seated himself, Harry draped over his lap in a way that appeared affectionate but would, most importantly, keep the weight off the more damaged areas. "I had not heard of your Father's death, Lord Malfoy, I am sorry for your loss."

"Don't be, and you haven't heard of it yet because I only killed him a few hours ago." Draco replied, ignoring the sickly wash to the other man's face. "I need all the Malfoy documents you have, _everything_ on file, and any notes you may have. You need to wipe the Malfoys off your appointment book and client list and try very, very hard to forget we were ever your clients. I will, of course, still come to you, but it cannot be documented any longer. For now, I need to see my Father's Will, and I need to make one up of my own."

"Yes, Lord Malfoy." Drippe replied faintly, looking quite firmly anywhere but at Draco as he summoned an Office Elf to gather the files. He summoned Lucius Malfoy's Will himself and handed it to Draco.

"So it all comes to me, there's nothing in here that allows anyone else a claim?"

"No, not now your Mother is dead. You are the only beneficiary."

"Does he have any other properties, do his accounts finance anything?"

"He has three properties listed as Malfoy property, and one apartment in the Wizarding sector in Liverpool. Listed to a Mister Walburt Verling. His accounts do not appear to be financing anything at the moment, although he has made donations. He has seven companies on his list."

"I need you to look into them, and Owl me the details. Also, I need this Mister Verling's address."

"You are aware that Lords usually install... Well..."

"You think my Father was fucking Verling. That's probably true, and as long as he doesn't expect anything else, I'm happy to leave him the apartment, so long as he _is_ my Father's lover; and not something far worse."

"Like what, a Mudblood?"

"No, like Lord Voldemort himself." Drippe sat back in his chair slowly, his eyes sweeping Draco suspiciously.

"When you told me to rid myself of any sign of you here, it wasn't to protect my Offices from the Aurors, was it?"

"No, it was not. I need everything you have on my family to ensure that Voldemort does not rip you and your Offices apart looking for me. I defected, by default, when I murdered my Father."

"In that case, I can tell you that two of these businesses are ruses to feed money to Voldemort, I'll have the paperwork drawn up to have all the monies stopped and returned to your account. I can also tell you that Verling is _not_ your Father's lover. He's your brother; Lucius raped and impregnated his Mother, a Muggle-born, during the first War. She approached him after He died and told Lucius that unless he wanted his son to be announced to the world, he was going to take responsibility. Lucius set her up in an apartment in her home-town, and the lease transferred to Verling after his Mother's death three years ago."

"I hadn't heard anything about him. Is he older or younger than me?"

"Younger, but only by a few months. One of the stipulations Lucius made for his support was that the boy was sent to Durmstrang instead of Hogwarts, he's in his Sixth Year there. He's the only one."

"Good. I suppose I'll have to meet with him at some point." Draco sighed angrily. "He has no way to claim?"

"Actually, he has the right to claim if you violate the inheritance clauses, but only if he marries a Pureblood, and he could only inherit until his son came of age." Draco scanned the Will in his hands, but couldn't see any inheritance clauses, only the basic stipulations.

"What are the inheritance clauses?"

"You must be married within three years of your Father's death, or by your twenty-first birthday, to an acceptable mate from a long-standing family. You must have produced one child by their body within two years, and at least one son within five years, or three daughters; if your partner is incapable of carrying children to term, that is if they miscarry more than twice in the first two years, you will be expected to divorce them and find another partner within two years of your divorce, and the stipulations about children would be reinstated. That means, most importantly, that unless you expect to make Mr Potter carry your children, you should stop introducing him as your consort and find someone more appropriate."

"And if I _did_ decide to get him pregnant?" Draco asked pointedly, one hand rubbing Harry's back gently. Harry was blinking slowly, obviously tired. Drippe stared at him for a long moment, before sitting back slowly, breathing out a long shocked breath.

"Merlin, you're being serious." He murmured quietly, staring at them both.

"Perfectly serious." Draco replied calmly, holding Drippe's gaze.

"Well, there's nothing to stop you. His mother was Muggle-born, but his father was from a long-standing pureblood family, and your father made no stipulations about purity of blood in his will. You will have to make sure Mr Potter is willing to carry at least the first child."

"Only the first?"

"The stipulations are that the first child be produced from his body, the rest of the children have no such stipulations. Your father likely assumed that would be how it went anyway, so he wouldn't have thought about it. But according to the letter of his will you would be perfectly capable of carrying any of the other required children." Drippe told him calmly, but the way he refused to look Draco in the eye as he spoke proved his anxiety about suggesting such a thing to Draco.

"You are capable of performing the marriage?" Draco asked him, pointedly ignoring the other conversation. Drippe was looking at him incredulously again, but after a few moments nodded.

"Of course, I have blank marriage certificates here..." He pulled the necessary parchment out and unrolled it on the desk. He picked up a quill and began to scratch out the names. "I'm required by law to check you both for mind-altering potions, curses and charms, to make sure neither of you are being forced into this." Drippe told him hesitantly. Draco smiled unpleasantly.

"Of course you can check him, but I can assure you he's under no magical force." Drippe's smile was pained as he performed the necessary spell and daubed Harry with the potion, and he didn't look particularly relieved, nor surprised, when they both came back clean. He repeated the procedure by rote on Draco, and barely waited for the potion to absorb before handing Draco to quill and parchment.

"It's the standard contract; all of your assets are shared, should you divorce your estates are separated again, etcetera. The children clause has been filled based on your Father's will, and any other issues are left to you both to sort out. Unless there's anything you want to add, you merely sign there, Mr Potter signs here, and you're done. As Mr Potter is the last of the Potter heirs, but your family has several cousins who can pass on the Malfoy name, you will be expected to take his surname and pass it to your children. Anything else?"

"The first son should carry the Malfoy name, and inherit the estate. The Potters have no estate and Seat to worry about."

"Not so, Lord Malfoy, the Potters do have a Seat, and their estate rivals the Malfoys, but Adalbert Potter refused to take his Seat back with all that trouble with the Goblins in the 1890s, and the Potters haven't taken up their Seats since. And Adalbert's son was one of those Stricts, you know the ones who don't believe in money and comforts. He only used a percentage of the income of the Potter estates, bought the cottage in Godric's Hollow with it and established the Potters there. I don't even think the Potters since knew about their estates."

Draco was wide-eyed himself now, but lowered his eyes to the contract in his lap to hide his surprise. He began scribbling on it, before signing it with a flourish. He nudged Harry gently and handed him the quill. Harry signed with a weak hand, not even bothering to read it. Draco passed the parchment to the other man and held Harry as he waited for the lawyer to finish processing their marriage and collecting their documents. He had a lot to think about.


	14. 14: Interlude 4, Hope

Albus Dumbledore sat wearily at the head of the table, waiting for the meeting to come to order. It had been difficult to decide to call this meeting when they knew so little, but the people in this room were invested in Harry Potter and none of them deserved to hear what had happened with Draco Malfoy in the Great Hall through the children or the newspapers. He could only hope that Severus and Icarus would come soon with some news.

He rose to his feet wearily, and silenced the room with one look. The whole Order had not been summoned, only those who he felt needed to hear the news, and the few he felt may be useful. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks had both been quickly informed of the bare outlines, and left to do their jobs in the most useful place for them right now, but Alastor was here, as was Deadelus Diggle, whose shadier connections in the Ministry could help them to access Malfoy Manor where official channels failed. Aside from those, the Weasley family had been called, Ron stoically holding Hermione as she struggled not to cry, and Molly outright weeping into her eldest son's shirt. Even Percy had been recalled from the Ministry to help; at the very least his arrival could help heal his family. Sirius and Remus had also been summoned of course, and he couldn't fail to notice a peculiar paleness to Sirius, although his eyes were far brighter than they had any right to be. Something was going on there, but he could do nothing now except trust Severus to deal with things.

His gaze swept over the others in the room, calculating from their faces and barely-controlled emotions who knew what had happened, who suspected, and who were waiting impatiently to find out. A few were shooting very worried glances to the Weasley contingent, who had been told what little they knew by their youngest two. The reactions in that corner were obviously a cause for concern.

"I am afraid I have very little news to impart to you, my dear colleagues, but it is news of a grave nature that I felt would be best learned here. This afternoon as he sat down to lunch, Draco Malfoy was accosted by one of his House Elves in a clearly distressed state. Words were exchanged which indicated that Lucius Malfoy was at Draco's Manor, and was attacking Harry. Draco was immediately transported out of Hogwarts by his House Elf, and no news has as of yet been discovered by them. Icarus was summoned to the Manor a short while later, which indicates that Draco, at least, is alive, but I have heard nothing of him for several hours. Severus is attempting to discover all he can without arousing suspicion. I apologise that I cannot offer more or happier news for you, but we can only wait now and hope that this comes to a happy resolution."

He could not bear to watch their faces as they crumpled in disbelief and fear. It had been a horrible day to discover Harry's absence, but Severus had been constantly reassuring of the boy's life. And while considering the boy in Draco Malfoy's control had been harrowing for them all, at least they had the relief that he was still alive; and the hope things would come out well. Now there was little hope and no reassurance, they could but wait.

"Albus?" He looked up at the soft words from the doorway, pleased to find his absent Potions Master waiting on him. He waved him in and indicated the floor to him, pleased to notice the other man's pause at his lovers – brief and barely perceptible as it was, but both men smiled sadly.

"I have had an enlightening, but unfortunately fruitless afternoon seeking information. All my informants tell me that Lucius has escaped custody, and most believe the Dark Lord himself was involved in the rescue. There were few agreements as to the other escapees; Bellatrix and Rudolphus are believed to be among them, but Lucius is the only one they can agree on. Apparently Lucius sought out a number of people, and appeared a little unhinged. Several tell me that he threatened and bribed for information on his son, and I have two separate accounts of him requesting that the Dark Lord grant him either Harry or his estate again. Neither was certain of which, but both were certain that he was refused, painfully, and that it was made clear by a number of people that Draco was considered on his way to usurping Lucius' position at the Dark Lord's Lieutenant."

Severus looked away from the suspicious or worried gazes of his colleagues to study his hands, which appeared momentarily to have a small tremor. Had he been cursed?

"His movements here are momentarily unclear, there appears to be a discrepancy of several hours between his interview with the Dark Lord and his next known whereabouts. My informer tells me he appeared in Knockturn Alley, and has apparently secured himself a Wand, as the Ministry still has his, Draco holds the spares and the Dark Lord did not give him one. He also entered the Apothecary, but I do not know what, if anything, he gained there. He then Apparated from the Alley and was not seen again, however this would be approximately an hour before Yuna arrived in the Great Hall, and he may therefore have gone directly to the Manor. Neither the Dark Lord nor his associates have yet discovered the supposed attack."

"What's he want? Why's he gone after Harry?" Ron asked him quietly when he finished talking. His lips were a white compressed line, but his ears were red; he was clearly very distressed.

"I believe he wants what he thinks is rightfully his – his Estate, his status with the Dark Lord, and Harry. From what I can glean, he blames Draco for having these things, believes the boy has betrayed him. I believe he may want Draco dead – with him gone the Estate would revert to him _in absentia_, and he could have Harry carry his new Heir. Or he may simply want to kill Harry; he does not appear entirely lucid."

"So... So you think he's gone to... To..." Sirius trailed off, incapable of completing his question. Remus' grip tightened perceptibly on him.

"I believe it would have been Lucius' intention to rape Harry, and lie in wait for Draco's return to the Manor to murder him. But that is purely speculation on Lucius' actions, his term with the Dementors may have made him less than stable and incapable of making rational decisions."

"You were right, though." A weary, pained voice chimed in when it was clear Severus was finished speaking. Icarus stepped to the front of the room, and addressed the gathered audience. "Harry is alive, but severely damaged. Draco is looking after him, and has declared his intentions to come to us for protection, as soon as he has organised his affairs. I believe Drippe may also be leaving before he comes under _His_ eye for any involvement he has in Draco's business. I have agreed to give him an hour before I take my information to the Dark Lord, which allows me a short opportunity to inform Albus of everything. Be reassured, however; Harry is coming home."

He nodded to the Wizards and Witches in front of him, and retired from the room to deliver the full report in private. The others could only sit, and wait; but now their waiting was full of hope for the first time in months. Harry was coming home.

End of Act 1


	15. 15: Chapter 11, Return

The letter arrived a week after Harry did, handed over by an unsmiling Snape, and bearing a generic seal. His hands shook as he opened it, recognising the familiar handwriting from dozens of notes over the last months despite the Malfoy seal no longer being in use. He wondered why, and cursed himself for thinking about it; he was trying hard not to think about _him_ anymore. He unfolded the letter reluctantly, staring blankly at the words and the familiar script for long, long moments before finally forcing himself to read them.

_Harry,_

_I hope you are well. I have been told nothing of you, so I can only imagine this means you are not suffering any ill effects, I'm certain if you were unwell, they would be swift to show me the blame. _

_I would apologise for the last months, Severus suggested it would be a good place to start; but I cannot. I feel no regret for having you, except that I could not make you want it as I did. I feel no regret for the child you have conceived (and I can only hope someone has told you by now that you are pregnant with our daughter) except that I will likely never meet her. I feel no regret for making love to you, except that you looked on it as rape. I was always taught never to give an apology I did not mean (and in consequence, to never apologise), and so I cannot in good conscience do so now. I would only ask your forgiveness that these events had to come at such a high cost to yourself._

_You have probably given no thought as to my whereabouts except to be grateful that I am not there to bother you, so I shall not concern you with that except to offer that we thought it best for you to not have to deal with me. I have been placed in a safe house away from you, and you will not have to see me again unless or until I am tried for my actions as a Death Eater. Severus promises me that, due to my defecting and rescuing you, and the fact that I committed no crime as a Death Eater (except rape, which is forgiven by all accounts); I will not be brought to trial or punished. I am rather reluctant to believe him._

_I hope you and the baby are well. I miss you._

_Draco._

Harry folded the letter carefully and tucked it into the appropriate slot on the desk in his room. When he'd moved into Grimmauld Place, with half a dozen Order personnel in situ at all times to look after him, Sirius had brought him up here with all the excitement and enthusiasm of a small child. Apparently while he'd been gone they'd been redecorating, and one of the rooms had been transformed into a private room for Harry. It was done in Gryffindor colours, with Cannons posters clashing against one wall; there was a bed and a desk cluttering up most of the floor-space. He wasn't returning to Hogwarts, they'd decided, not while he was pregnant at any rate, so he should be made as comfortable here as possible. He wondered if there was something wrong with him, to make him hate this room more than he had hated the one in the Manor.

He eyed the door warily, wishing he could lock it (we thought it best not to let it lock, just in case, Harry. We're looking out for the best for you) and lay carefully on the bed. He flinched as the movement disturbed sore flesh, but the aches were fading quickly now. Soon they would be gone, as would all reminders of the attack. He was back in Dudley's old cast-offs, wrapped in three layers in some places; ostensibly to ward off the chill. The collar was gone, as were the plugs Draco had forced him to wear for most of his stay in the Manor. Aside from the strange new organs between his legs that still caused him the most pain but were thankfully healing up quickly, and the baby in his belly, they could almost pretend nothing had happened. He was even wearing his old glasses, although the lenses were just glass now, because whenever certain people saw him without they started to get red and angry or tearful. Besides, he looked vulnerable without them to people who were used to him being weak and blind without them on, and the last thing he wanted was to look vulnerable.

He closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep. Molly Weasley, on one of the days where she had come and fussed over him and been generally overbearing, had told him he'd need lots of sleep for the baby, and would probably get tired easily. He was always tired, but that was more of a soul-deep weariness than and actual physical exhaustion, and he couldn't sleep well. He kept expecting to wake up in the Manor with Draco sliding sweetly into him. He wasn't sure what he hated the most – the easy conditioning or the fact that he always cried when he woke up expecting this and didn't know if it was from relief or regret.

He turned over to face the door, curled in a defensive ball, and closed his eyes. Almost at once he was in his much more comfortable bed in the Manor, safe and warm. Wakka was preparing him a nice lunch that Draco would insist he ate (they didn't mind now if he didn't eat – nausea and recuperation and "he's not feeling well poor lamb", never mind "oh you're so thin, Harry, too thin for someone in your condition!"), Tidus was preparing him a bath, nice and warm with lavender oils just in case, and Yuna was making sure Master Malfoy was alright, probably pampering him rotten. Draco would be there when they went to lunch, and would make Harry do some delicious, degrading sexual act (although anything was better than the Carrot Incident, and he'd learned quickly to stop complaining) and spend the time talking about things like their studies, or Quidditch, or their baby. Something interesting and engaging (if anyone actually spoke to him now, it was easy topics like the weather and if the food was good. They were too afraid to say anything that might upset him), and he'd find himself chattering away for the duration of the meal before remembering that he hated Malfoy and the other man was a disgusting, evil rapist.

He forced his eyes to open, forced himself to stop remembering - and, for Merlin's sake, stop _missing_ the bastard! – and tried one of the meditation techniques his _counsellor_ had taught him to help him sleep. He didn't want to get up and do something that might bring him into contact with one of the other people in the headquarters, and sleeping was just about the only excuse he had. Even though he had a study in here, all his study things were in the library, to _encourage interaction_. So far it had just encouraged him to not study (Draco would be disappointed). The techniques took a long while to work, and he went through several different ones before finally falling asleep, dreaming of warmth and safety and care.

Draco sat heavily on one of the chairs in his parlour, staring at the orange flames through which Severus had made his exit. He was the first person to come and speak to Draco since the day he'd come here a week ago. _"we thought it best for you to not have to deal with me"_, he remembered writing that to Harry. The reality, however had been much different.

*****

Draco arrived via Floo in Severus' quarters at Hogwarts less than an hour after he and Harry had been married. He helped steady his partner and lead him to a seat, choosing to remain standing himself. Harry whimpered when he let go, so he dropped one hand carefully to his shoulder and left it there for reassurance. Severus was not present, but should arrive shortly – he had alarms on the Floo that would have warned him Draco had arrived.

True to prediction, Severus arrived a few minutes after they did, coming into the chambers by the door to the school. He looked highly relieved to see them both, and see them safe, and was in Draco's personal space within moments. "Are you alright, Draco? Is Harry?"

"I am fine, Severus. Harry is... He will be fine as well. I take it you know what has gone on?" Severus nodded absently, his attention on the darker Wizard sitting on his chair. One of Harry's hands had overlaid Draco's on his shoulder, and the boy was staring into the middle distance blankly. He didn't even appear to have noticed Severus' arrival, and only reacted to his surroundings by tightening his hand when Draco's loosened on his shoulder as though to lift away. Draco left it where it was.

"Yes, Lucius attacked you. Your Medi-Wizard told us he's dead, and that you would be coming to us. I've been with Albus, we're trying to decide what to do, but we cannot really decide that until we know exactly how both of you are." His eyes narrowed in annoyance, although it appeared to be directed at the old man in the office above who was still trying to meddle even in things he had no control or knowledge of.

"How much did he tell you?" Draco asked, worry in his eyes. His hand tightened subtly on Harry's shoulder in an unconscious gesture indicating his worry for Harry, not himself. Severus' eyes caught the movement, but he made no mention of it.

"He told Albus everything. As for the rest, very little. Harry was grievously harmed, that we know, and he told us you killed Lucius. Nothing more." Severus' dark eyes were inquisitive, he wanted to know and, unlike the others, he sought his knowledge out of a genuine desire to be helpful. Draco rubbed his face tiredly before talking.

"He raped Harry. Repeatedly, viciously, and in between bouts he whipped him raw. By the time I arrived there was more of Harry's blood on the walls and floor than there was in his body. And... Harry's pregnant. By me, not him." Draco's eyes lifted to Severus in time to see the man slam a fist into the wall in fury. There was anger, a deep hatred in him against Lucius, but there was no surprise. He'd at least suspected Lucius' motives for his attack.

"That is something to be grateful for, I suppose." Severus finally grated out with difficulty. His fists were clenched into tight fists, despite the blood dripping from one knuckle. Dark bruises were already starting to form under the red patches of skin, and Draco wondered if he had actually managed to break something.

"That's not everything. We went elsewhere before coming here. Severus... I married him."

This time surprise was evident on Severus' face as he looked at the other man, absorbing the truth in his words. He looked to be speechless in the face of the new information. Before they could say anything else, however, they were interrupted by Harry's agonised screams. They both leapt into action, Severus summoning Madame Pomfrey as Draco pulled Harry's struggling form into his arms and held him tightly to keep him calm. By the time the woman arrived, Harry's screams had tapered off to broken sobs and he had relaxed against Draco's body. Before he succumbed to the unconsciousness that was lurking at the edges of his vision, he whispered "he knows". Draco clutched him closer as he paled.

Twenty minutes later, Harry had been firmly tucked into a bed in the Infirmary, with Madame Pomfrey guarding him closely and doing a highly accurate impression of a dragon with a clutch of eggs. She was clearly furious, and had yet to look at Draco. It hurt him somewhere viscerally that this woman, who, despite everything, had always been caring towards him, could believe he'd been the one to do this to Harry. He knew she thought it, it was obvious in every line of her body, in the way she spoke to Severus and the two Order members who were standing at either side of him but never him. By the time they left, the two members staying to watch over Harry, he was shaking with the hurt, with fury, with worry. He didn't want to leave, but he knew he had to; if only to go and barter for his and Harry's protection.

He was lead to the Headmaster's office and forced to hand over his wand, whereupon he was given a slip of paper to read and memorise, then lead through the Floo. The room they arrived at was clearly once the large parlour of a house, but was now doubling as a meeting place for the Order of the Phoenix. Every single member (except the two in the infirmary) seemed to be there, apparently waiting for him. They had all stood when he came in, favouring him with brief hostile glares before looking around him. It seemed to take a few minutes before they all realised that only the three of them had come through, that Harry wasn't with them. Chaos broke out immediately, a few people even bursting into tears while the rest started shouting.

Draco settled into a chair indicated while Dumbledore tried to bring the crowd under control. It took several minutes before everyone was ready to sit quietly and listen, but finally the attention of the entire crowd was on Dumbledore and, unfortunately, himself.

"Harry is not with us right now, he is in the infirmary under Madame Pomfrey's fine care. It is perhaps better for us to solve the issue of Mr Malfoy before bringing Harry into the situation."

"Send him to Azkaban! He's a Death Eater and a rapist, it's more than he deserves!" Draco's head whipped around at the shout, trying to identify the perpetrator, but it was impossible in the melee of people. Dumbledore just frowned at them.

"While an easy disposal of Draco may seem like the most preferable option to many of you, this is not one I am willing to consider. Draco has taken great personal risk in coming to us for help, and he was guaranteed that he would not be faced with retribution should he do so. Also, as it stands the Malfoy estate is under Draco's control and is not being used to finance Voldemort's cause; should Draco be sent to Azkaban a new Malfoy head would be appointed and Voldemort would likely once again benefit from the abundant finances that the Malfoy estate entails."

Draco gripped his hands tightly, resentment welling up inside him. Was this all he was worth, not another soul spared from Voldemort, not another wand for their count against him, not even a child who'd been lead astray; just his money. Just the estate that he had been more than willing to sacrifice for Harry's sake. He bit his lip painfully, then stood up.

"I can see that this is going to be some kind of Kangaroo Court to declare my guilt, and I want no part in it. You have Harry safely in your hands, and bringing him to you has put a price on my head bigger than the one on Dumbledore's. It's your sodding _duty_ to protect me after that, or would you have liked me to leave him to be tortured and raped by my Father or some other Death Eater? Yes, I raped him. Yes, I got him pregnant. But I made the best of a bad situation and he didn't suffer unduly in my care; any other Death Eater would have enjoyed torturing him for simply existing. Besides, whatever your duty to me, I'm more concerned about my duty to him. He is my husband, and more importantly he carries my child. You know well the dangers that sending me away would pose to him and the baby, they will need regular magical contact to stay healthy." Draco bit his lip painfully as he finished speaking and sat down, his hands trembling in his lap. He was terrified, but he was afraid for Harry more than himself at this point. It was a feeling that was all too common where Harry was concerned.

"You married him? You bastard!" Once again he couldn't identify the speaker, but he didn't need to. Within seconds a bolt of vicious purple light was searing towards him, and it was only Severus' quick wand-work that protected him. Severus was on the perpetrator in minutes.

"You call him a bastard, Fletcher! You, you who would attack an unarmed man who is in this house under the protection of Albus Dumbledore himself, and you attack him? Get OUT!" He was truly a horrifying image to behold, Draco thought; his hair was wild in his face, which was twisted up itself into a snarling, ferocious visage, spittle flying from the corner of his mouth. It was likely only his need to stay by Draco's side and protect him that prevented him from physically attacking the other man. The man – Fletcher – sneered at Severus and spat at his feet.

"You would protect him, Snape, Death Eaters together. You're probably in on it! It was you who fouled up the only rescue plan we had, remember!" If his duty to protect Draco had been all that was stopping him before, it had been forgotten now in the rage sweeping through Severus. Only Dumbledore's swift action prevented Severus from attacking Fletcher; the older Wizard sending Fletcher out in disgrace and calming Severus with a few kind words. Draco settled back in his seat, the shaking in his hands worsening. His breathing was shorter now as well, and spots had started dancing in his eyes. He was a Slytherin, he was used to facing hostile crowds, but that somehow was not helping him now in his panic. These people would gladly see him dead, and his only protectors were a benevolent but unpredictable old man and a man whose nature and job stood against him.

"Come now, no more of this. Yes, Draco and Harry are married, and yes Harry is currently carrying Draco's child. However," Dumbledore paused and looked sternly at the others, "this is not what is important. Draco is correct; the important thing here is our duty to him. He has come to us and asked for our protection, and if we refuse him now, when he has brought us the one thing we ask of him, we become no better than Voldemort's people ourselves." Duly chastised, they all looked down or away and murmured quietly, but the hostile atmosphere lessened.

"He can't stay here, Harry is coming here! I don't care if they are married; he shouldn't have to put up with that!" This time Draco did recognise the speaker, one of the Weasleys who had been a few years above them in school. One of the twins, by the looks of him. He wanted to be angry or upset, but these people truly cared about _Harry_, not the Boy Who Lived, as many of the Order did. He swallowed past a painful lump in his throat, he wanted to stay with Harry. He wanted to be there, to see him swell with their child. He wanted to look after him, to help him heal after what Lucius had done. He wanted to try and build a true marriage between them, a stable environment to bring their daughter into. If he was sent away he would have none of that, and he was frighteningly certain that these people would turn Harry from him, and he'd loose his husband and his daughter before he'd really even had them.

"Thank you, Fred. You are quite right; Harry must be brought here for safety, and having Draco here would just disturb him. However the baby will need his magical signature."

"Well, that's easily taken care of! When I was pregnant with the twins, I needed even more of Arthur than usual, but with the War... Well, Arthur spoke to some people and we had this little medallion made up. It holds a little of Arthur's magical signature, so whenever I needed it I'd just pop it on the twins and let them absorb. It would work for the first few months, at least, and would allow Harry to go longer between sessions in the later months. Then we'd just need to set up a time once or twice a week for Harry and Draco to meet and do what needs doing. If we bring Draco here, Harry will have people around to make sure nothing got out of hand." Molly Weasley sniffed a little and glared at Draco, before smiling at Dumbledore again. Draco ignored her the best he could, but the whole concept had set his stomach rolling in nausea. If they could reduce Harry's dependency on him then they could effectively get rid of him.

"Splendid Molly! Simply splendid. Can I ask you two to arrange that for me, then, by the end of the week? Yes, splendid. Now, as for Draco, we'll have to think of another safe-house to send him to."

"Why can't I stay here, with my _husband?_"

"Because, Draco, Harry has just suffered a brutal and awful experience at the hands of a man who looks far too much like you for comfort, after spending two months being raped by you yourself. Surely you did not expect we would allow _that_ to continue?"

"There is a little thing called conjugal rights, Dumbledore." Draco reminded him, sneering. No, he hadn't expected them to allow the relationship to go on as it had, but he also hadn't thought them cruel enough to separate him completely from his husband.

"Certainly, my boy! And should Harry choose to exercise them, we will not stand in his way!" Dumbledore replied, all twinkles and joviality again. Draco hated him intensely.

"In that case, I have a safe-house of my own. With your guarantee that I will not be targeted by you, and will have somewhere safe to retreat to in case Lucius has given Him the co-ordinates, I should be able to remain there. It was not designed to be easily found, but I did not want to take that risk. As for Harry, I want a weekly update on the condition of my husband and our child, else you will have to find some other way of getting my magical signature to the baby." He issued his threats clearly and coldly, masking the little voice in his head that was insistent that the only reason Draco would ever refuse that was if he was dead. Family had always meant everything to him, despite his father's betrayal (perhaps even more especially because of it), and he was already firmly attached to the baby.

Dumbledore frowned at him gravely, but eventually capitulated without saying anything against his requests. He nodded regally. "Very well. Severus will go with you now, and will return a week's hence to give you the information and take the medallion for Harry. You will not be returning to the school while you are such a target, so Severus will also be bringing you any assignments. Provided, of course, that you wish to gain your NEWTs? I thought so, in that case Severus will bring you assignments each week and retrieve the ones you are left with, and you can sit the exams at the end of the year with the other students."

And so, Draco found himself effectively locked in his own safe-house and dependent on Dumbledore's graces for any scraps of information he could get about Harry. He hated this place, and he hated the silence. He hated that he didn't have Harry with him.


	16. 16: Chapter 12, Annulment

Harry was eating his breakfast unenthusiastically and reading through his notes on Transfiguration before his tutoring later in the morning when Sirius, Remus and Mrs Weasley came in. Harry ignored their presence for the time being, focusing on his work and trying to ignore the little burn of betrayal inside him. It was stupid and he didn't really understand why he felt that way, but sometimes looking at them (especially when Sirius and Remus exchanged those sickeningly affectionate touches) he really hated them.

"Harry? Can we talk to you?" Remus asked politely, hesitantly. The others were looking at him, and Harry had the sinking suspicion that he was being ambushed.

"Okay." He replied softly, his eyes narrowed a little but his face open.

"Harry, we were thinking. Your marriage to... Your marriage was never consummated. So, you can get an annulment." Sirius told him, smiling at him as though it was a good thing, although there was pain at the edges, and he winced when he nearly spoke Draco's name.

"An annulment? Are you serious?!" Harry yelped, a hand lowering instinctively to his belly as the other gripped the table edge. Revulsion had welled up in the back of his throat at the idea. "I'm carrying Draco's baby, I don't think they're likely to grant an annulment!"

"Harry!" Sirius hissed, although he wasn't certain exactly which of his words had caused the disagreement. "It doesn't matter, the marriage contract states that you have to consummate the marriage after the wedding, it mentions nothing about before it; so you can annul it. And until you give birth and the baby can be verified as his, according to the law the baby counts as yours and yours alone. If you'd been married _before_ you fell pregnant that's one thing, but because the wedding happened _after_ conception, the law gets a bit funny. So your being pregnant won't affect the annulment." Sirius smiled warmly at Harry, obviously thinking that Harry would be happy to get out of the marriage. Presumably they had all been thinking that when they had sent his husband away – he wasn't stupid enough to believe that Draco had gone on his own.

He probably should be happy to get out of the marriage, as a matter of fact.

"So... So I'd just file for an annulment? How?"

"No need to do anything like that! We had all the paperwork done. You and... He... Just needs to sign it. One signature, and this is all over with. You and the baby can move on without worrying about him ever again."

"It's the best thing for everyone, Harry. You can't stay married to a man like that, and you know it."

"Yes, I know it."

"I'm taking the papers to him myself." He announced, gripping the parchment tightly and staring Snape down fiercely. The other man was insistent that he would be the one to tell Draco of the annulment, but Harry had no intentions of anyone but himself going. Still, that meant persuading his overprotective guardians to let him go, and forcing Snape to give him Draco's address.

"No, you arrogant little beast! I will not have you causing him even more pain that this... _annulment_ already will." Snape snarled in reply. His face had twisted in anger on the word annulment. He bit his lip, feeling ridiculously relieved that at least one person was thinking of Draco in all this. He might be a rapist and a bastard, but the baby in his belly was Draco's as well and he didn't deserve to loose them both like this.

"I think I deserve to see him, to close this properly. And I think he deserves this to come from me directly. I won't cause him any more pain than necessary, I promise you." Harry told Snape quietly, sincerity in his voice and eyes. Snape closed his eyes in defeat, and handed over the slip of parchment bearing Draco's address. Harry nodded his head in gratitude, and set off through the Floo.

He clambered carefully to his feet on the other side of the grate, his eyes darting around the room in surprise. Unlike the ostentatious greeting room of the Manor, Harry had arrived here in a small parlour with nice, simple furniture, and an unfamiliar House-Elf staring at him with wide, astonished eyes. He smiled weakly at it, and asked after Draco. The Elf disappeared with a loud crack without saying a word to him, leaving Harry standing in the Parlour alone and uncertain. Draco, however, arrived a few moments later, heralded by another Elf with a tea-tray.

"Harry?" He asked him, staring in apparent surprise at the other man. The Elf had announced Harry's presence, but it hadn't told Draco who he was, and Draco had clearly not been ready for his presence. "What are you doing here? Why have you come? I told you everything I needed to in my letter last week, and you won't persuade me to apologise."

"I haven't come for your apologies. You're the only one who hasn't apologised for some part of what happened, and I wouldn't have you do it. You don't feel sorry, do you?" Harry demanded, staring Draco in the eyes in a way he never had before. It was surprisingly easy to face the man who had cowed him for so long, and for all that he had been Draco's slave, his pet; this didn't feel so different. He and Draco had always seen each other clearly.

"No, I don't feel sorry. Not for anything." Draco admitted. He eyed Harry as well, refusing to look away or appear ashamed for it. For all that he had been brought down, he was still a proud Malfoy after all.

"Not even for being married to me? It's one thing... Having sex with someone. Getting someone pregnant. It's something else entirely _marrying _them." Draco swallowed, still watching Harry closely, and a faint smile turned up the corners of his lips.

"No, I'm not sorry. I think not marrying you would be the one thing I would be forever sorry for. And for me it was never sex; nor just _getting someone pregnant_. You're my husband and that is my child, I'll never be sorry for that. Even if I never see either of you again." Harry watched him as he spoke, calculated the spark in his eyes, the pain and the happiness. He nodded decisively.

"You have one minute to make a decision about the future, about where we go from here. In one minute I expect you to be lying naked on your bed. If you're not, I'll know the decision, and you'll never see either of us again."

Harry turned away from Draco and walked into the bathroom, locking himself away from the other man for the duration of the minute. He paced inside the tiny room, berating himself for his stupid questions, and even worse for the incredibly idiotic, Gryffindor thing he was about to do. He should just take the annulment scroll out and make Draco sign it. He should make him sign it, and leave, and never have to deal with him again.

But he was fed up of other people trying to run his life. He hadn't wanted an annulment; not having parents was awful and he had no intentions of taking his daughter's father from her. But they had decided he needed an annulment, and had arranged this without even asking him what he wanted. So he'd come here intending to make sure no one could force him into an annulment. It was ridiculous, it was stupid, it was... Exactly what he wanted. He smiled slowly and left the room, hurrying without actually running into the bedroom.

Draco was lying on the bed, naked bar a small throw-pillow draped fetchingly over his more private areas. It made Harry's little smile widen, just one more proof of the shift in their relationship. Draco had made Harry suck on that cock until his lips and tongue had gone numb; he'd fucked him with it repeatedly and sometimes nearly viciously; he'd forced Harry to hold it, stroke it, clean it and kiss it. And now he was embarrassed enough to hide it from Harry's view even though Harry had specifically told him to get it out.

He reached down and carefully pulled the shield away, running one finger down the revealed cock, grinning as it flushed and started to rise. Harry knew this cock intimately, knew exactly how to make it rise up and greet him eagerly; and with Draco lying prone and willing under him he would use his accumulated knowledge to his advantage to make Draco come for him. Spectacularly.

Almost as soon as Draco was uncovered a pink flush had spread across his cheeks and down his chest, but his cock rose for him obediently as Harry's hand wrapped around it. He smirked at his husband and bent down, suckling at the tip as Draco had taught him he liked best. A few more sucks and he dipped his head further, taking in more and swallowing around it. Practice had make an expert of him, and he managed fairly well for some time before taking over with his hand and the occasional suckle. Draco was arching and groaning in that way that he did just before he came, one hand curling in the bed sheets underneath him in lieu of Harry's hair, and the other curled against his own thigh. Harry dipped his head down, sucking him in deeper and holding him in his throat, swallowing rapidly as Draco succumbed to his talents and finally came.

While Draco was still settled in his mouth, relaxed as he could ever get, Harry smuggled his free hand up between his thighs, catching saliva and come on his finger and running it between the other man's cheeks, gently pushing the finger against his tiny, tight anus, wiggling it carefully and pushing it gently inside. Draco gasped and arched under him, opening himself up a little more so Harry's finger could burrow deeper, first just the one, then two. The third finger teased him mercilessly before slipping in on a whined beg, burrowing deeply into Draco and spreading him carefully open. Harry's fingers were persistent and forceful as they twisted inside the other man despite his attempts at denial and escape, and soon they had succeeded in weakening Draco down. When Harry pushed his hips into the vacated space between Draco's legs and settled himself at Draco's opening, the other man was nervously wriggling under him, but acquiescing eagerly. Harry pushed gently, lovingly into his husband, allowing all of the emotions he had carefully hoarded for this man in the tender moments they had shared to seep through into each touch and caress.

Draco cried out softly as Harry breached him, his limbs trembling tensely and his eyes fluttering as though he wanted to look away from Harry's burning eyes but incapable of breaking their gaze. Harry wondered just how difficult this must be for the other man; so used to dominating him, being in control; to submit. How vulnerable he must feel to open himself like this and risk himself. He hoped Draco knew now what he had made Harry feel in that Manor, in his bed, but he doubted it. A part of Harry burned to be underneath his partner, to be loved and cared for; but for Draco the reverse was true. Draco wanted to hold, and love, and look after. He was at his best when Harry was completely vulnerable to him and he could care for Harry. This submission was an act of love on Draco's part, and Harry wanted to honour that; but it was not an act of desire. If Draco got his way, even for a second, Harry would soon find himself on his back and speared again.

For now, however, Harry was in control, and Draco would learn to submit. He grinned briefly, devilishly, at his lover and husband, and made the first deep thrust. Draco moaned shakily, unsure if it was pain or pleasure, and Harry made another. This time Draco seemed to have decided it was pleasurable, because he pushed back. A few more thrusts and they were rocking together wonderfully, in tandem as they always had been despite the reversal of positions. Achingly familiar despite the differences. Even Draco's orgasm was the same, and Harry could almost feel the ghost of semen brushing into him, and a burning ache filled his gut as he thought of it, as he came himself and filled Draco.

Afterwards, sweaty and sated, Harry kissed Draco. Just once, a lingering press of lips and a sleepy caress, before he pushed himself off the bed. He ignored the ache that lingered even now from the attack, and began to dress. Draco watched him from the bed, seemingly incapable of looking away from Harry. When he was fully dressed, Harry allowed himself to look at Draco. Draco opened his mouth as though to talk, but a few moments later closed it impotently. Harry smiled faintly, and nodded once before leaving. Before he lit the Floo he tossed the now useless annulment papers into the flames.

At the headquarters, a number of people were waiting, looking anxious as he had taken longer than expected. When he Flooed in, they stood attentively, expectantly. Murmurs and confusion began to spread at his dishevelled appearance and the lack of papers. He smiled faintly at them all. "There won't be an annulment after all." He announced softly, and walked out without listening to the explosion that followed in the wake of his bombshell.


	17. 17: Chapter 13, Family Relationships

_A/N: My thanks to those who reviewed to tell me this was wrong the first time, it's nice to know you're all on the ball! I hope you like this one, and sorry for the mistaken upload._

Draco lowered himself carefully to the couch, wincing a little with pain. Harry had been gentle and careful and everything he could have wanted in his first lover (most especially, he'd been Draco's husband and the man he's in love with), but that didn't mean he wasn't now suffering for their actions. And suffering for his own, actually, because this pain could only remind him of Harry's own lost virginity, the pain he must have felt then, and the things Draco had put him through afterwards.

There were times you could cope with realising you're a twisted, vicious bastard, and there are times you couldn't. This was definitely one of the times he couldn't.

The Floo chime broke Draco successfully from his thoughts, and he fought a short but vicious battle with himself to suppress the hope that it was Harry again. He was glad he was victorious when Severus stepped out of the Floo first, and bounced to his feet eagerly, before wincing again and struggling to remain impassive. Really, that wasn't the kind of pain you just forgot.

"Severus, what brings you here today? You're not due back until Monday!" But thank goodness you are here, because I get really, really lonely here and I can't stop thinking about how awful it really must have been for Harry...

The slap caught him off guard. The flush of pain from his cheek worked quickly to wake him from his thoughts, and he stared for long seconds at Severus in confused hurt, one hand on his cheek and the same sickening feeling in his chest that he remembered the first time Lucius had taken his cane across his young son's backside.

"I have been upset by you before, Draco. I have been angered, I have been hurt. I have even been humiliated. But I have never, never felt the kind of shame that you have made me feel today."

"W... What did I do?" He asked softly, tears welling in his eyes. He blinked them back rapidly, shocked by their sudden appearance, but he couldn't stop it. He hadn't even felt this sense of desolate hurt the first time his father had hit him, and he couldn't quite suppress the fear of loosing Severus. Severus was the only one who visited him in his prison, the only one who seemed to care, the only one who brought him news about Harry.

"I fought a lot of people to protect you, Draco. Most of the Order wanted to take Harry and abandon you, even knowing it would almost certainly lead to your death. Some wanted to kill you themselves for what you did to that boy. At best, you were looking at a prison sentence, and a lot of information gathering. These are desperate people and you hurt their saviour. But I defended you, I protected you. I sold my own dignity, pride and a great deal of my own personal protection to get them to agree to you staying here. And I, personally, vouched for your actions, I swore you would do nothing to jeopardise our position or to harm anyone. And you... You have thrown that back at me. You have betrayed me and you have betrayed everything I have done for you."

Draco sat down heavily on the couch behind him, barely noticing this time the heavy pain in his body over the pain in his heart. He swallowed back a sudden rush of nausea, looking up at his angry guardian warily. Of all the people to believe something about him, he would have thought that Severus, in the least, would hear him out. But instead Harry had gone to them and said something - and this could only be about what had happened between he and Harry - and Severus had chosen to believe the worst.

"What... What did he tell you?" He finally asked, his voice cracking on the words. He swallowed dryly, watching Severus pace and fume.

"He came here to annul the marriage, he was here for a long period of time - too long to have simply been collecting a signature - he returned in a state of disarray, clearly distracted, and told us there would be no annulment. Not that you had said no, or that you had decided against it. He made it clear that an annulment would not be possible. He departed to his room and has not emerged since."

"You think I raped him again." Draco said hollowly, his throat and voice closing over the painful words. "He left you to believe the worst of me."

"Are you telling me this isn't what happened?" Severus asked. "Are you expecting me to believe something else happened instead? That you are innocent now of a crime we are all fully aware you have committed before?" His voice showed doubt, derision, but there was a glimmer of hope in his expression. Severus wanted to believe, he just didn't know if he could.

"I... Harry offered me the choice... Of doing as he said, or of loosing them both. He asked me... He asked me if I wanted to be married to him. I told him yes. He... No, there's no possibility of an annulment, not now, but I didn't rape him. I didn't do anything to him."

Severus sat down across from him, the nervous tension finally dissipating in its entirety. "Draco, are you suggesting that Potter - Harry - was the one to... To... Sodomise you?"

"Sodomise?" Draco snorted derisively over the word choice, but finally nodded. "If you mean 'did Harry order you to strip off and lay still, drag you to within an inch of an orgasm and fuck your brains out', then yes, that's what I'm saying. I didn't know that he was even thinking of having the marriage annulled, he didn't say anything and he didn't give the impression that he had any intention of leaving me. Besides which, I have a life-debt over him and he's carrying my child. Had he tried to annul our marriage there were plenty of other ways I could have used to stop him - and be aware that I would have stopped him. I can't believe an annulment was even in the offering! He's pregnant, just THINK of what that would have done to the baby!"

"Draco... I am sorry. I told them that I did not believe it the wisest course, but his family were determined. He appeared to agree, however thinking on it now, I can see how he was manipulating them. He was the one to suggesting coming here, and coming alone, after all. I must return, I will... I will speak with your husband, on your behalf. They will not allow him to come here, however once his family is aware that he considers himself, and that he is, infact, completely married to you, they may permit you to live with Harry. Should you wish it."

Draco snorted softly, a grim smile curling his lips. "Should I wish it? It's the only wish left for me, Severus, this wish for a life with my husband and child. My family." He glanced around the room briefly, before returning his gaze to Severus. "You speak of protecting me from a prison without seeming to realise that all I've done is trade Azkaban's bars for this cell. Harry is all I have left for hope."

Severus bowed his head in acceptance of Draco's words and rose silently. A part of Draco's conscious cried for Severus to stay, to keep the dark thoughts at bay, but the rest of him would be glad for the respite from that dark gaze. Severus was not an easy man, and Draco's current turmoil left him too vulnerable to him.

"I will speak with Harry." Severus promised, before sweeping from the room and through the Floo. Draco sat carefully back in his chair, wiggling uncomfortably before giving up and calling for a bath to be drawn. When Harry did return to him, Draco had a lot of pampering to do.


	18. 18: Chapter 14, Outcast

Draco sat quietly at the table, eating as politely and unobtrusively as he could. He had filled his plate once, during the initial rush, and would not re-fill it. He had not spoken since he had sat down, and would likely not speak again until he had left. He cut each section of food precisely into small, bite size pieces, would accept them carefully into his mouth and would chew slowly and silently. He did not eat anything wet, or anything that crackled or left crumbs, like the toast. Once he had finished, his plate and seat would be cleaned, and he would slip out in a busy moment. By the time he left the room, the other people in it would have forgotten he was there. He would return then to the small, dirty bedroom he had been given, and he would either read through his texts and do his homework for the lessons he could not return to, or he would read one of his books. Or, as was becoming more frequent of late, he would sit by the window with the door open a crack, watching as the others moved in the courtyard and garden, or listened to them in the Hall.

He had been here for two weeks now, three weeks since his husband had consummated their wedding vows, stripped him of his virginity and walked away from him. Three weeks since Severus had agreed to try to help.

His help was this. The safe-house was intact, but he could not return to it without having the location of the Headquarters stripped from his memory. He could not, in fact, leave the Headquarters without suffering the same fate. He had been left in silence for almost a week, before Severus had arrived, told him he had an hour to pack and the brought him here, where he had been shown to this room and locked in. They released him for meals and twice-daily toilet breaks, but that was all for the first three days, before some kind of agreement was reached between "them" – the Order contingent most in residence who could and would make the decisions, and the people on Draco's side. Namely Severus and Harry, although Harry was reluctant to say anything either way. Draco was given the freedom of leaving his room, but he was rendered magically incapable of leaving, unless he was willing to never return. He was also forced to agree never to enter a room if the door was closed, while the others were forced to agree not to arbitrarily shut every door in the building.

So for the last week and a half, this was Draco's existence. He left his room early in the morning, ate what little he could stomach at breakfast as unobtrusively as possible, and returned to his room. He was forced to make an appearance at dinner, where one of the Professors would arrive to make sure he was alive and to collect and distribute his and Harry's work. After the evening meal he would go to the library, then more often than not turn around at the closed door and return to his room. Sometimes, if he left dinner early enough, he could get into the library long enough to collect books to take to his room. Unfortunately this meant he had to suffer the indignity of "spot checks", where one of the Members in residence would toss his room looking for "unsuitable" books.

He and Harry were taking all of their NEWT courses by correspondence. This meant _Charms_, _Transfigurations_, _Potions_, _Defence and Dark Arts_ (a special arrangement of the course set up for them by Dumbledore, wherein Draco was quizzed about his knowledge of the Dark Arts, and Harry was taught about it) and _Astrology_ for both of them. Draco was also taking _Ancient Runes_, _Arithmancy and Numerology_ and _Herbology and Earth Magic_; while Harry was taking _Care of Magical Creatures_, _Divination_ and _Elemental Magic_. Despite taking five of their eight classes together, their practical work was done separately, and they were forbidden from being together while doing their written work in case of cheating. Even when Severus came on Saturday, as he would continue to do for the duration of their learning so they could make that week's potion under his supervision, they had to do so separately, ostensibly because Harry was learning different potions that wouldn't affect the pregnancy. Draco often spent several hours each night in the Astronomy Room (a pre-existing room that had been cleared especially for this purpose) in the hopes that Harry would also be there. However the few times Harry had gone, Draco had arrived to find the door closed. As for Harry's bedroom, the door was always closed there. It was also two floors beneath Draco's on the lowest of the bedroom floors, and the staircase leading down from his bedroom (the only one on this floor) creaked with increasing loudness depending on how far away the nearest two people were, making it impossible for him to go to where Harry was without someone already watching him. It was made even more obvious by the fact that the people who lived on the floors above his (most everyone except Harry, Cousin Sirius and the immediate family, who resided on the first two floors), did not make so much as a squeak on the stairs.

He was reasonably certain that these measures were not taken at Harry's request, but never-the-less, Draco's stay here had been remarkably unpleasant, and astonishingly Harry-free. As well as the two boys, there were also in residence Cousin Sirius (and Lupin and Severus at times), Cousin Tonks (he wasn't certain if it was an attempt to get away from her mother, or an attempt to seduce one of the men in the house. Either option seemed doomed to failure) any one of the Weasley brood, most especially the eldest two sons, two other Auror-types and a few people who stopped in for a while here and there to report and rest between assignments. He saw these people during meals and in the halls often. So far he had seen Harry for an extended period twice, both times to administer his magical signature to the baby to help her develop. Harry woke later than him for breakfast, and tended to either eat his dinner after Draco had left, or eat lunch and supper and skip dinner altogether. The few times he had put in an appearance at the dinner table while Draco was still there, Draco had been hustled out, or Harry had been served dinner, along with half of the others, elsewhere.

For all the good being here was doing, Draco may as well have stayed at his safe-house. While he had felt alone there, had wondered and worried about Harry, and their child, he had at least been able to distract himself from his loneliness. Here, if ever he was able to lose himself in his books, something would happen – a tremendous racket from one of the Weasleys, a loud laugh, the soft sounds of lovers hurrying to their beds – and he would be reminded once again that he was inhabiting a house filled with people who were living and loving together, and he was not welcome. He imagined this must be what the Ghosts at Hogwarts felt like, constantly isolated from the other inhabitants of the Castle, feared and ignored in equal measure, and only occasionally given to meet with someone they could interact with. The magical tether to this place was also reminiscent of the way the Ghosts were bound to the Castle, and the gray, endless days that seemed to have become his life sometimes made him reach out and touch something – a book, a wall, never a person – to make sure he hadn't become as gray and incorporeal.

Of course, then he wanted to hit himself with said object for allowing himself to become so melodramatic and allowing them to get to him. But he didn't, he wasn't about to hurt himself for them, for this dreary little place with its dreary little people and its nasty way of sucking the happiness out of a person. And he had been happy, so happy when he'd come here thinking his Harry was making an effort for him, for their marriage. A notion that had been quickly disproved. Harry had done his fighting when he'd fucked him that one, single time and doomed them both to this marriage, now he was content to let these people maneuver his life and push Draco out of it.

At least today Harry couldn't push him away. For their baby's sake, at least, because tonight was Draco's regularly scheduled time to give Harry and the baby some of his magical signature. The last couple of times they had been given 'company', a polite euphemism for a guard, but tonight was supposed to be a big meeting so although Harry would be attending the main part of the meeting first, he would be coming to Draco alone. And if he didn't, Draco was going to stick Severus on someone.

The wait was nearly intolerable, stuck alone in his room as people came in, talking in loud tones and bonding. The silence, afterwards, magically induced and eerie was worse. He tried to read, but when he looked at the book and realised he'd been ignoring the page for at least ten minutes, and couldn't remember anything he'd read, anyway, he gave up. Sleep was equally forbidden, and as per the agreement he made when he moved in, he could not leave his room. The hours passed slowly. Very slowly.

But, finally, Harry came in. He slipped almost tentatively into the room and smiled weakly at Draco, his hands twisting the ends of his shirt in a nervous tic that suggested he was thinking about what was coming next – about being partially naked under Draco's touch.

"Hello, Harry." Draco said, then paused, feeling unaccountably speechless. He suddenly couldn't think of anything else to say, and jsut watched the other man shift his weight and bite his lower lip. It made Draco want to groan, remembering how many times Harry had done the same and Draco had bitten it himself and sucked the lip into his mouth to soothe it. His upbringing finally asserted itself and he stood away from the bed, motioning Harry to it. "Make yourself comfortable."

Harry looked at the bed and _twitched_, an all-over body movement as if he wanted to move forward and run away at the same time. He sighed and quickly, with classic Gryffindor bravery, pulled his shirt off. One hand anxiously palming his ripening belly, he lowered himself to the bed. Draco smiled warmly at him, watching with surprise as Harry seemed to melt with relaxation into the bed. He shut the door over and, at Harry's continued lassitude, shut it fully, before returning to the bed.

He wondered for a moment how to do this comfortably, rather than the uncomfortable hour he had spent at their last two meetings, sitting away from Harry with one rapidly aching arm stretched out to his abdomen. He eased behind Harry, tucking warmly up along his back. He tried to maintain a distance between them, enough that his body heat would keep Harry warm but not enough that they were actually touching, but when he rested his hand on Harry's abdomen to begin feeding their child his magical signature, Harry moaned and rolled just a little so his body was pressing into Draco's. Draco moaned softly himself at the feeling of his husband on him, and tightened his arm just a little. His hand began a slow, gentle rub that the books he had devoured had said Harry would like, and adjusted his position just a little to support Harry better. Then he settled in, and for the first time in weeks, released the anxious tension supporting him.

Five minutes later, Harry was asleep. Six minutes, and so was Draco.

By the time they woke, Draco was feeling the little drain-tug on his magic that told him they had been long enough for the baby. He sighed and removed his hand reluctantly, feeling Harry startle away beneath him. He moaned and rubbed back into Draco's crotch, whispering 'please, Draco' softly. Draco groaned, burying his face into the side of Harry's throat and kissed there delicately, wrapping his arm back around Harry and holding him again. It took his lust addled mind several precious moments before he realised that in this situation, with Harry waking to feel Draco wrapped around him, would put him right back in Draco's bed in the Manor. He pulled back, gently enough not to jar Harry, but swiftly enough to not get sunk into something Harry would regret.

"Wake up." He murmured, sighing and sitting up himself. Harry rolled to face him, frowning with irritation at his reaction and sat up slowly. Unlike before, when he had been clearly nervous about his partial nudity, now he didn't care.

"Why did you stop?" He sighed, slumping against Draco. Draco hissed in a breath.

"I thought... I thought you'd be upset." Draco replied, a little bewildered. He rubbed his hand over Harry's abdomen again, thrilling at the hardened, rounded flesh.

"I told you not to stop, why would I be upset?" Harry asked, sounding genuinely confused.

"I thought you might have woken up and... been confused about where you were."

"What, thought I was in bed with Ron or something? I know you, Draco, I know how you feel against me, in me, and I just wanted to feel that again. You're my husband, it's not wrong."

Draco looked at Harry, who was looking back at him with steady, sure eyes. He was unsmiling, making no effort to seduce, he was just being plain now. Draco thought it was probably sexier.

"You want that, Harry? Want to feel me on you again, inside you? Pressing you into the mattress again and making you watch me as I fuck you?" Draco asked, taking the risk and reaching cupping Harry's cheek, watching his eyes dilate with arousal.

Harry nodded.

Draco lunged at his husband, pulling him into a fierce kiss, contradicting that with gentle touches to lower Harry to the bed. He pulled back once Harry was flat to simply look at him, laying wanton and panting with arousal in Draco's bed. Finally re-finding his shame, Harry blushed and reached out to Draco. Draco took his hand, and pressed a kiss to the palm. He had caused Harry enough pain, now he just wanted to be gentle.

Their clothes were shed swiftly, and Draco settled happily back on top of his husband, both of them hissing softly at the feeling of their fully naked bodies connecting. Draco rubbed their bodies together, grinding carefully down into Harry, a little paranoid about hurting their baby. Harry finally groaned impatiently, spreading his legs for his husband. "Come on, Draco." He hissed, tilting his hips invitingly. Draco groaned and lowered himself a little more, reaching for his wand. He had no lubricant here, so wand work would have to do. Rather than teasing and pressing his wand into Harry to perform the spell, he performed it over his own hand, and slid a finger into Harry. Harry arched and moaned beautifully when Draco rubbed and teased inside him, pushing another finger in as well.

In the early days it had taken three fingers to ensure Harry felt no pain (although that hadn't meant Draco had _used_ three fingers), but after two he thought Harry was probably ready. Harry whined when Draco removed his fingers, wiped lube onto his cock and began pushing into him. Long, slow strokes worked him fully inside, nestling Harry into his lap and slicing pleasure through them both. It didn't take very long, hormones and weeks of denial putting them both too close to the edge too fast but, Draco felt, this was still probably the best sex they'd ever had. Harry came first, striping them both with his come and pushing Draco over the edge, not just because of the feeling of the other man orgasming around him, but also from the sheer pleasure of watching Harry's pleasure. Later, he was going to think about making Harry masturbate for him.

They flopped on the be again, back in their previous position and relaxing together in the afterglow. Harry smiled brightly at Draco, and was leaning up to trade small, soft kisses with him when the door was knocked, and Molly Weasley's voice came stridently through the door, searching for Harry. It was a nasty reminder that this was Draco's reality now, where people felt the need to check on him when he was with his husband and had no sense of privacy.

Thankfully, Harry did, and Draco fell to the bed, laughing happily as Harry cast a locking and warding charm on door containing his own magical signature, and collapsed on the bed beside Draco.

When they left this room, they would face argument and condemnation. He would return to being an unwanted stranger in this house. But, here and now, Draco could hold his husband and pretend.


	19. 19: Interlude 5: Finding Love

Interlude Five, Finding Love

Severus closed the door softly and slipped back down the hallway. His footsteps made no sound on the rigged stairs, and he doubted either of the boys in the room had noticed his presence.

He walked into the kitchen and over to his lovers, touching Sirius tentatively on the shoulder. They had come together nicely through their love for Remus, but they were still a little wary of each other at times. He was trying, for his sins, and Sirius was making an effort as well. The results were surprising and pleasing, and they were both rewarded nicely by Remus for their efforts.

Sirius looked up at him, no sign any more of the flinch that had been present the first few times they had touched each other. He smiled weakly, pain lines still lingering on his face and worry shadowing his eyes. The worry Severus could understand, the entire house had been tense since Draco had moved in and Sirius was no exception. Severus didn't know where the pain was coming from, however, and he was worried about his lover.

"How are they?" Sirius asked quietly. Most of the household was unaware of Harry and Draco's disappearance into Harry's room; Draco stayed away from the others enough that they didn't think anything was different, and Sirius had announced Harry had needed a nap.

"They're sleeping. Harry looked… peaceful." He replied thoughtfully.

Sirius sighed, an unsettled frown crossing his face. "He's not going to let things continue the way they are now. He's," he broke off, looking pained. "He's in love with Draco, isn't he?"

"I think so." Severus replied softly. "I know some people might worry, think he only feels that way because of what happened, but those boys… there was always something there. They've always had a lot of passion between them – a bit like us. All it took was a little spark to turn them around."

"And… and us?" Sirius asked, uncertainly. "Have we turned around?"

"What are you asking?" Severus replied warily.

"Don't be dense, Severus," Sirius said sharply, the uncertainty falling away. "I'm asking if you're in love with me."

Severus looked at him for long moments, speechless. He wasn't sure how to respond, how much to risk. If he said no, and Sirius took it as a rejection, he could lose them both. If Sirius was asking this because he was in love with Severus and Severus said no, then Sirius might never risk asking again. But if Severus said yes, if he admitted to that weakness, and Sirius wasn't in love with him…

"Sirius…" he said quietly, silently pleading for a sign from him. Sirius continued to watch him steadily, waiting for a response. Severus swallowed back an instinctive need to push him away and protect himself. "Yes. I'm in love with you."

Sirius's face broke into his wide grin, chasing away the traces of pain and worry, the shadows of Azkaban that still lingered at the corners. Severus felt a responsive smile break out on his own lips. "I love you too, Severus." He said. He reached out a hand and pulled Severus into his body, pressing a deep kiss to his lips.

Remus came over to them both and smiled brightly at them, reaching a hand out to them both. The pulled him in eagerly.

"Severus," Sirius said, once again appearing quiet and solemn, "We wanted to talk to you about the potion you gave Remus." Sirius shared a look with Remus, before shrugging. "I've taken it. I took it yesterday. And we both agree that you should be the first one to father our child."

Severus gaped at him, completely blown away by the revelation. "You want me to father your children?" He asked. Sirius nodded once, but the twitch in his hands indicated his reticence came from nerves rather than unwilling.

"Of course I do, I love you. We talked about it and we both agreed that I would be the best candidate to carry our children. We thought I could have one with you, then one with Remus. Remus obviously can't carry any children himself and we thought it would interfere too much with your potions to ask you to carry them."

"I would have. I would have carried our children willingly."

"I believe you, but… Your potions are a huge part of you, Severus, and a pregnancy would prevent you from working on all but the most mundane of them. And, well… I won't lie to you, while Harry was missing I was slipping again, I let myself go and I nearly turned to alcohol more times than I like to think of. This is a chance for me as well, if I know my children would rely on me being healthy. And, at any rate, I've taken the potion, the deed is done. The only question now is, are you going to come upstairs and get me pregnant?"

There was only one response Severus could honestly make to that, and he nodded quickly. He reached out and Sirius nearly threw himself into Severus' arms, going willingly as Severus tugged him up the stairs.


	20. 20: Chapter 15, The Order of the Phoenix

Chapter Fifteen, The Order of the Phoenix

Harry woke up slowly, safely tucked in his Master's arms. He wriggled sleepily back against him, rocking against the hard length pressing into his lower back. He murmured softly to Draco, feeling him wake as well and begin to rock back into Harry. A few moments later Draco was pushing inside Harry, riding on the leftover slick from their activities the night before. It was too little, too dry, and the burn as Draco settled fully inside him was intense but Harry relished it, it had been too long since his Master had made love to him properly.

The thought brought him fully aware, remembering in a rush that they weren't in Draco's Manor any more, that it wasn't his _Master_ pushing into him, it was his _Husband._ He groaned loudly and pushed backwards into Draco's body. "C'mon Draco, harder than that, I won't break!" He hissed. Draco laughed into his neck, and pressed a kiss there.

"Relax, Harry mine," Draco murmured, and rolled his hips leisurely. Harry wiggled and clenched, but Draco just gripped his hip and pushed him over a little more, took more of his leverage off of him and continued to set his own pace. It was maddening the way Draco was stealing all his control and forcing Harry to go at his pace, absolutely maddening. Harry loved it so much he wanted to cry.

Draco seemed to tire of the slow pace now as well, because he pushed Harry onto his front, canting his hips up to protect the swell over their child, and plunged deeply into him. Harry moaned loudly as the thrust caught him just right, and gripped the pillow under his head tightly as Draco continued in a series of deep, hard thrusts, gradually increasing the pace and strength as his precome slicked the way. He buried his face in the pillow and screamed against the fabric as Draco wrapped a hand around his cock and pushed him over the edge. Draco kept his hips pulled up, continued to milk him through his orgasm and into oversensitivity. Harry sobbed quietly and tried to squirm away, clenching around Draco compulsively. Draco pulled him tight and held him in place as he came.

They relaxed in bed for another half an hour or so before mutually agreeing to get up and face the world. Harry picked his clothes up from where they had been scattered across the floor, and blushed when he realised he would have to wear the same clothes again. Draco looked him over and smiled wickedly. Harry threw his shirt at him. "Shut up, Draco!" He cried, laughing. "Lend me some spare underwear and a shirt."

Draco looked him over again and pulled out the clothing, holding his tongue on the question of whether Harry would actually fit into the clothes. They were roughly the same size, but the baby bump made Harry bigger. He snorted through his nose, trying to hold in the laughter, when Harry turned to him with an affronted expression, trying to hold the ends of his shirt closed. The top was too tight to fit over the bump, leaving a long swathe of skin exposed.

"I'll run up to your room and bring down one of your tops." Draco offered graciously, fighting back a laugh at the look on Harry's face. Harry flopped onto the bed sullenly, and ignored Draco as he fled the room and hurried to Harry's own bedroom. He wanted to laugh, but he also felt a shiver of pleasure coursing through him. Harry was getting bigger because of their child, their little girl growing inside his womb.

He grabbed the first large clean shirt he could find, grimacing at the shapeless design that Harry had returned to once he'd returned to this house. At least it served a purpose for now, but once his husband had given birth, they had to give his wardrobe an overhaul. He returned to his room and handed the shirt over to Harry, who was smiling now as he cradled his bump.

He pulled the shirt on and stood beside Draco, visibly steeling himself to leave the room. "Come on, Draco. Time to face the masses."

Much to their surprise, when the walked casually into the kitchen for a late breakfast, no one paid them any notice. The room was full, but mostly with people they considered family. Severus, Sirius and Remus were sat at the table, while Molly stood over the stove stirring pots and cooking up breakfast. Arthur Weasley and several of his children were also sat at the table, along with a familiar-looking Auror that Draco suspected was blood related. They had thought that Molly, at least, would have made a fuss about them spending the night together, but apparently she had forgotten about the events of the previous night. Draco shot his Godfather a suspicious look.

"We told Molly Harry had already gone to bed and you were being stroppy and locked her out." Sirius murmured lowly to them.Harry H "No one knows you spent the night together."

"Thank you." Harry replied softly, smiling at the older man. Sirius smiled back.

"It disturbs me, a bit, thinking of you two together. Mostly I can't believe you're old enough to be doing that, and there is a part of me that has reservations, but… for better or worse, you're married, and you're having a child together. It's your decision how you want to make your relationship work, my job is to support you."

Harry nodded, his smile growing bigger and a little watery. Draco had to admit that he'd been worried, everything he'd heard of his cousin had indicated he had a mercurial and sometimes cruel temperament, and he had been expecting him to interfere with their relationship and try to push them apart. But, he realised, Sirius was in a fairly unconventional relationship with Severus and a Werewolf. He probably understood far better than most the trouble Harry and Draco faced, and was more likely to support them both. It was a relief.

After so long feeling miserable in the house, and creeping around the edges, it was a surprise and a let down from the adrenaline rush they'd felt leaving the room. They had half expected there to be a huge uproar when they came into breakfast together, and when Draco stayed close to Harry, but instead no one was paying either one of them any attention. Draco grasped Harry's hand gently and smiled when he looked over at him.

"I think we're going to be OK." He said softly. Harry opened his mouth to respond, but before he had the chance a strident voice broke in.

"Get your hand off him, Mr Malfoy!" Molly Weasley cried, brandishing a wooden spoon at him like she intended to hit him with it. He flinched away from her instinctively, then shot her a defiant glare.

"Mrs Weasley, he isn't doing anything wrong." Harry said placatingly. She continued to glare at them, puffing up in anticipation of a huge rant. Draco felt Harry tense up beside him, and as she began to screech at them, Harry tensed further. Finally he snapped.

"Mrs Weasley! Stop shouting at us! Draco is my husband, and if we want to hold hands and… and share a room together, then that's our business, not yours! Imagine how you would feel if we started nosing into your and Arthur's private business!"

"That's completely different young man!" She replied angrily, still brandishing the spoon. She should have looked ridiculous, with her hair frizzing everywhere and her cheeks reddened with fury, but Draco couldn't find anything to laugh at. She was genuinely upset, he realised.

"Harry, love, stop. Mrs Weasley, please don't be upset. I know you're all less than thrilled about my part in Harry's life, but he is right. We are married, and the officiate was very thorough in checking that neither one of us were under any compulsion at the time. Harry has made the decision to try to build a proper marriage between us for the sake of our daughter and… and as the closest thing either of us has to a mother figure at the moment, it's your job to support our decisions, even if you don't like them."

Mrs Weasley gaped at him speechlessly for a long moment, and Draco could see Sirius looking perked up and overly pleased in the corner. Harry, however, was frowning at him.

"Do you really think that? That I'm only doing this for our daughter?" Draco looked at him in surprise, and hope. Harry bit his lip. "I love you, you silly man. I want to try to make our marriage work because I want to be married to you, not because I'm carrying your child."

Draco looked down, sure his cheeks were red with pleasure. He couldn't stifle the smile stretching across his lips, and didn't even try. "I love you too." He offered quietly back, and they ended up just looking at each other with slightly goofy expressions for a few moments.

"Oh, Harry." Mrs Weasley sighed, still looking unhappy. "You're sure about this?"

"Yes, Mrs Weasley, I'm sure." Harry replied firmly. She nodded in acceptance.

"Okay, then. But you both have to realise that we're your family, Harry. We can accept things that others might not." She looked Draco over, assessing. "He'll do, I suppose. At least he'll make pretty babies."

With that, the last of the tension broke, and everyone in the room laughed. Arthur stretched over and shook Draco's hand, as if his wife's acceptance was all he'd needed.

The Auror moved down a few places to sit across from him, and smiled. It took him a few moments to realise her hair wasn't just catching the light, it was actually changing colour, until it was a mix of black and pale blonde that was very reminiscent of his mother's hair.

"Nymphadora Tonks," she introduced, sticking out a hand. "Your Mum was my Mum's sister, so you'd be my little cousin."

He took her hand automatically, a little baffled. "We have an Auror and a metamorphmagus in the family and I didn't know?" He queried. Her smile turned a little brittle.

"I was never really part of the 'family', seeing as how my Mum was disowned before I came along. Married a muggle, you see." Draco flinched, and nodded.

"Oh, I do see. My grandparents died when I was very young but, from what I remember and know of the family… I'm not surprised I've never heard of you. Is your Mother…" He trailed off, not sure how to ask. His own Mother was dead, Aunt Bellatrix was in Azkaban and as far as he was aware the only other surviving member of his maternal family line was a third cousin who had married into the Notts. And Cousin Sirius, of course.

"She's still around, lives out near Glastonbury with my Dad. I'll see if she wants to come and visit, if you'd like?" Draco nodded graciously, feeling unaccountably shy. It would be nice, he thought, to meet his Aunt.

The other shoe dropped later that afternoon, when Draco followed Harry into one of the large reception rooms he'd never actually been in before and stumbled into a meeting. The room, which had been filling with all manner of people who were talking in small groups inconsequentially while they waited, fell slowly silent. He saw faces start to twist angrily, and he was more than grateful to feel his Godfather step up to his other side when the first protests began to break out.

"He can't be here, get him out!" One of them shouted, and Draco felt Harry's hand curl back into his palm.

"Draco is my husband, and I want him here." Harry replied sharply. Draco shot him another smile, but someone else was shouting before he got the chance. He heard the word Death Eater and flinched.

"Draco is no longer a Death Eater, he defected to our side and brought Harry back to us safely." Severus defended.

"Only after he raped him! It's bad enough we let one Death Eater in here, never mind two!"

Draco felt Severus stiffen, knew things were going to turn ugly any moment, but luckily that was when Dumbledore finally deigned to arrive. He was unsmiling, looking decidedly grim as he walked through the now-silent room to the front.

"Severus and Harry are right, Draco is here because of his actions and I have no doubt that he will not betray our confidences. And the matters we have to discuss here today involve Draco and Harry, it is only right he should be here. Please let's have no more of this, and everyone take a seat. I have grave news to impart."

The others sat quietly, and while Draco received several vicious and unwelcoming looks, no one else was willing to argue against Dumbledore when he said Draco could stay. He waited silently until everyone was sat, and Dumbledore could step forward with his news.

"I have just come from the Auror office," Dumbledore began. "A body was found yesterday, beaten and tortured beyond recognition and dumped in Knockturn Alley. If it hadn't been so close to Diagon Alley, it is doubtful the discovery would have even been noticed. As it was, the Aurors have investigated. They were able to identify the remains this morning." He looked over all the faces in the room, seeming to make eye contact with everyone at the same time as he prepared to make his announcement.

"Mundungus Fletcher is dead."


End file.
